After The War
by tweetyberd
Summary: Canon ships - Maiko, Kataang, and Sukka .- Sure, the war is over. But, with a kidnapped Mai, an insane Zuko, a confused Katara, an even more confused Aang, a maybe pregnant Suki, a maybe father Sokka, and a bored - to - death Toph, the drama is far from.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1 **

Night finally fell upon the summery skies above the tea shop. So much had changed. The group felt greatly relieved that the war was over, but slightly saddened. This ment that they would definitely be spending less time together. Toph had been getting letters from her parents almost every day, begging her to return home. At about the 50th letter, she gave in and is now choosing the best time to make her journey home. Suki was getting more and more homesick by minute, and Sokka couldn't stand to be with out her. Once Suki brought up returning to Kyoshi Island once, he immediately offered to come along. Zuko had his duties at his nation to take care of. Many of the tasks far too great for one man, especially one of Zuko's age, and one new to the throne. Each nation was severely damaged, especially the Earth Kingdom, which would take tons of money to rebuild. Aang wanted to help as much as he could with this, and had tributes to the rebuilding of the Earth Nation put up all around Ba Sing Se. Katara was planning to go visit her home to help her new grandfather rebuild the Southern Water Tribe. Iroh had a tea shop to maintaine, which was very busy now that the war was over. And Mai, was just happy to be living with her boyfriend other than her family, who bored her so much it drove her insane.

"Okay Boomerang Squad, even though in a couple days we will be going our separate ways, we all have to promise right now to keep in touch." Sokka propped an eyebrow and examined the room to make sure everyone was paying attention.

"I'll do anything you say if _you _promise to stop calling us _Boomerang Squad._" Toph said looking in the opposite direction of Sokka.

He ignored Toph's remark," Zuko, everyday when you take a break from rebuilding the Fire Nation , you _have _to write to me. I'm going to Kyoshi, where all there is is girls who talk about hair and makeup and what ever it is girls talk about." He mindlessly waved his hand in dismissal of the topic.

"I thought you would be happy going to an island full of girls." Suki said with a laugh, crossing her arms.

"Not girls that could beat him up." Katara teased. Everybody laughed, and Mai let out one of her rare chuckles.

"Hey, I've gotten better at my fighting skills since the last time we visited Kyoshi." Sokka shook his head, changing the subject," Anyway, back to what I was saying. Aang, since you're pretty much staying here in Ba Sing Se.." He trailed off, scanning the room nervously.

"What is it?" Aang asked, confused. Sokka continued to watch everybody, and his face turned red.

"Well, a while ago when we were here looking for Appa," Sokka saw Aang cringe slightly of the memory," I kind of accidentally stumbled into a haiku off-" He was interrupted by Toph busting into laughter. He cleared his throat,"And I kind of used one too many syllables and the gaurds threw me out. Since, they obviously didn't know who I was." Sokka said straigtening up a bit.

"And.." Aang waited for Sokka to continue.

"I was wondering if you could go show them who's boss, avatar style..?" He asked weakly, hoping nobody would hear. The group laughed again.

"Sure." Aang said sarcastically, still laughing.

"And Toph, just ask Hawky to transfer the message in Hawky language, okay?" Sokka asked with his goofy grin, that nobody had the heart to say no to.

She sighed," Whatever." Toph crossed her legs and leaned back in her chair. Sokka's smile grew larger with Toph's agreement. He turned to face the kitchen Iroh was working in.

"Iroh, you can't forget to write, either. And could you send the ingrediants to your tea too?" He asked hopefully.

"We'll see." Iroh chuckled. Sokka turned to Katara,"_You _definately have to write, or I will never forgive you. Ever. Understand?" He shot Katara a serious look.

She smiled,"Don't worry, I will." Sokka stood there, awkwardly. He was basically done with his speech.

"Ok, erm.. Well.. Uhm.. Good work.. Dismissed." He nodded as if he knew what he was doing, and went back to sitting by Suki. Sokka felt slightly guilty for not saying anything to Mai, but he knew if he put her in that awkward position, she would most likely kill him. Everybody else knew and loved him too much to even hurt him with words.

Suki noticed Sokka's expression,"You okay?" He hesitated,"Oh, yeah. Sorry." Suki smiled slightly as he put her arm around her.

Zuko turned to Mai. He watched her pick at her nails, and eventually spoke up, "So, uhm.." He searched for the right words to say," Since I don't have much to do tonight.. Do you want to.. I don't know.. Get something to eat , maybe..?"

Mai looked up at him and blinked, "Sure." She gave him a small smile, and rested against him. He hugged her from behind and gently kissed her neck. Toph groaned and went to the kitchen to get away from the couples. Katara shot her head down, but her eyes remained on Aang. Every now and then, he would glance at her and smile. She waited for this to happen again, and eventually it did. The two locked eyes, and for a long time didn't speak.

"Want to go outside?" Aang asked in a whisper. Katara smiled and nodded. He took her by the hand and walked her to the balcony. The other couples watched, not really caring. All of them now knew of the relationship between Aang and Katara. The new couple arrived outside, where the stars shined overhead. Katara closed her eyes, and let the wind breeze through her hair. Aang watched, and a slight blush crept up his face. He smiled at his new girlfriend, and turned his head to the sleeping city below them. Weeks ago, this had been the very spot they had both admitted their love for eachother. Katara tightened her grip of Aang's hand, and he turned to see she was blushing, too. They both slowly leaned into the other, until their lips met. Aang could feel Katara's smile against him, and he smiled too.

They stayed like this for a while, thinking of the previous memories they had shared, and the many, many new ones that would follow.

Thanks for reading ;) Chapter 2 should be up soon.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Sokka's chin quivered as he sobbed on the way to where everybody would departure. Eventually, tears began to fall.

"Sokka, don't worry. We will still be together on the way." Suki tried to cheer him up.

He sniffed,"Yeah, on the way to say goodbye forever!"

"It's not forever!" Suki immediately cut in. "We are just visiting our families and checking up on things at our homes. Then everything will be back to normal." Sokka still wasn't convinced, even with a reassuring kiss on the cheek.

He just sighed and continued up the path to where Appa stood. Aang excitedly threw multiple bags on Appa's back, creating a perfect stack.

"Do you think Appa can carry all of that luggage, plus all of us? He got tired easily with just the three of us, and not there are four others joining." Katara asked wondering if it would be any help if she removed some items from her bag.

Aang continued tossing bags aimlessly, but somehow managing to put them in order. "Appa had plenty of time to rest. All he has been doing this week is eating and sleeping, and occasionally I would fly him around the city for some exercise." He smiled at her, and threw one last bag,"These bags aren't that heavy, anyway."

Katara was still concerned, but didn't speak up again.

"Hi Aang. Hi Katara." Came a mopey voice from behind. Aang and Katara turned around and saw Suki walking up to Appa with Sokka trudging slowly behind her.

"Hey guys." Katara and Aang greeted in unison. There was a silence.

"So where is Toph and Mai and Zuko?" Suki asked.

"Toph is on her way. Zuko wanted to say goodbye to Iroh, so they should be here any time as well." Katara replied.

Suki nodded, and grabbed Sokka's hand to pull him on top of Appa. That left Katara and Aang alone again.

"Aang, I've been thinking," Katara said taking a step closer.

"What is it?" Aang closed the distance between them.

"Well.. I don't know if I want to go to the South Pole with out you." She looked towards the city. Aang let her continue,"We've been together non stop for the past year. And that whole time I was too afraid to admit how I felt about you. I was afraid if we did start a relationship, and then afterwards if anything happened to you.." She shook the thought away,"Now that I finally have you, I don't know if I'm ready to leave." She turned to give him a small smile, and his answering smile made her blush.

"I'll come with you." He kissed her cheek once and went to make sure the bags were secure so they wouldn't fly off of Appa.

A sudden rumble in the earth made Katara loose her balance. The rumbling got more loud and stronger until Katara fell to the ground. And as soon as it came, it left.

"Guess who?" Toph popped out from a huge mound of earth, which dissapeared on her command.

"Thought it was you." Katara said smirking. She stood up and dusted herself off. Toph lunged herself into the air, and landed next to Suki on top of Appa. She noticed something different,"Where are the little troublemakers?" She asked with a mischievous smile.

"Who?" Asked Sokka, still sulking.

Toph frowned,"Mai and Zuko." She paused,"And why are you so down? I would be happy and try to enjoy these last moments we have together." Suki smiled and nodded to Sokka in encouragement.

Aang scratched his head,"They are taking a while. Wonder if everything's okay."

The group continued to talk about their future plans, and Aang explained he was leaving with Katara to the South Pole. Eventually, Mai and Zuko trailed up to them, hand in hand.

"There they are." Said Suki, leaning over the side of Appa's sattle.

"So what were you two up to?" Toph challenged, crossing her arms. The group stared at Toph, then to Mai and Zuko, confused.

Both of their faces started to turn red,"We were just saying goodbye to Iroh." Zuko finally spat out. Mai looked down.

Toph started to laugh,"I don't even need to feel your heart rate to tell that was a lie."

The others in the group were starting to understand where this was going. So were Zuko and Mai.

"And besides, you told us that this morning. Now it's like 2 in the afternoon. It doesn't take 3 hours to say goodbye to somebody." Toph finished, with a wide grin spreading across her face.

Sokka smirked and leaned against Appa's sattle,"So you two finally went there, huh?" He said with a laugh.

"No! We weren't..We didn't! We never even have-" Zuko was interrupted by Toph's laughter.

"Don't lie. Remember, my room was only two doors away from yours. I could feel everything you've been doing in there just fine." The group hid their laughter.

Mai and Zuko's faces went red, and they shot their heads down. The chuckles and giggles eventually faded, and Sokka clapped to get everybody's attention.

"Okay, first we are going to drop off Toph, since her house is closest. Then, me and Suki will be dropped off at Kyoshi. Then, Aang, you have to hurry to the Fire Nation to drop off Zuko and Mai so they can have their fun time." There was chuckles again, and Zuko shot Sokka an angry look, that made the laughter stop and Sokka's grin disappear. He cleared his throat and continued," Then Aang and Katara can just fly to the South Pole from there. It's going to be a pretty long trip, but there will be plently of breaks along the way." He clapped loudly one more time, which startled Toph and made her jump.

Aang hopped onto Appa's head and yelled yip yip. Appa groaned and whacked his tail against the ground, then soared into the clouds. Mai still wasn't used to flying, she had only done it once before, and it was only for a few minutes. She held herself against Zuko to keep warm, and he burried his face in her hair. Sokka stared down at the city below, pointing out all of the familiar places he had been before. "That's where we put up posters of Appa.. That's where we found an old guy sweeping Appa's hair.. Ooh! Look! It's Iroh's tea shop! It looks so tiny from up here!" He grinned at Suki, who pretended to be entertained.

Aang watched the clouds fly past them, until Katara tapped his shoulder. He smiled once he turned around.

"Are you just coming with me because I want you to?" She asked, lowering her voice to a whisper.

He shook his head,"No, of course not. I want to be with you too." He smiled apologetically and put his arm around her waist.

Toph grew bored of ease dropping on the conversations and fell asleep. Eventually, Mai grew bored as well, and unpinned her hair so she could mess around with her pins. At least it kept her busy. Zuko felt uneasy with Mai so close to him and her hair flying in his face. He buried his face in her hair once more to hide his blush. He held down the fire building up in his chest and swallowed. Mai felt him stiffening, "You okay?" She whispered, putting her face even closer. Zuko nodded weakly, "Yeah." He forced out,"I like your hair down." He smiled and hid his face in her shoulder again. Mai kissed his forehead and nuzzled into his chest.

"ARE WE THERE YET?!?!" Toph yelled from her sleeping position, startling everyone. She was already tired with the relationship fluff going on.

Aang looked down,"Almost, your house isn't that far from here." He started to lower Appa so he could see the city more clearly.

Sokka's frown returned,"Already?'' His chin began to quiver again. He started crying, loudly and obnoxiously.

"Calm down Sokka, you can come visit when ever you want." She paused,"Please do. I want any excuse to get away from my parents. They annoy me to death." She threw her hands into the air.

"Yeah sure, we will just swim across the ocean, no, we will tame and ride the Unagi, leave him at the dock, walk across the Earth Kingdom, find your city, and go to your house." Sokka

explained sarcastically.

Toph frowned,"Thanks." She closed her eyes again.

"Can we not fight the last few moments we are all together?" Suki asked in a small voice.

"Fine." Toph and Sokka agreed.

Appa continued to fly down until he came to an arubt stop.

"We're here." Aang yelled as everyone jumped off of Appa to say goodbye. They shared one last group hug, which Zuko forced Mai into by dragging her by the waist.

Tears flooded from Sokka's eyes,"B-b-b-bye Toph!!" He forced out and hugged her. She punched his shoulder,"Seeya Captain Boomerang." She said with a smile.

Toph and Aang hugged,"Bye, Twinkle Toes."

Aang felt like he would cry,"Bye, Toph." He said through a cracked voice.

Katara ran to hug her friend,"Don't get into too much trouble." She teased Toph.

"I'll miss you Sugar Queen." She teased back.

Now Toph ran to hug Zuko,"Bye Zuko!!! I'll miss you so much!!" Tears started draining from her eyes.

Zuko stood there awkwardly, and Mai let out a giggle.

"Erm..I'll miss you too..?" He sputtered.

Toph sniffed and back away,"Mai, take care of him."

Mai nodded and smiled at Zuko. Toph took a breath and continued up the steps. She turned and waved once more, and walked into the garden.

They watched sadly as she disappeared.

Sokka broke the silence,"I don't know how much longer I can put up with this." Tears began to spill again, and the group loaded back onto Appa.

Thanks for reading. Chapt.3 will be updated shortly ;)

Don't forget to gimme feedback if you liked it ;D


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Appa continued sailing through the skies until he reached his next stop, Kyoshi Island. It took a half hour to get Sokka to come down from Appa's back. But eventually he complied.

"Do you mind if I go visit Ty Lee?" Mai asked Zuko.

He nodded,"Sure." She gave him a small peck on the cheek before getting off of Appa.

Katara stared towards the cheering croud of people,"Maybe we could all use a break." The rest of the group jumped to the ground, where they were swormed by fans.

Sokka shook his head,"Wait, somebody's missing." He said, looking around the noisy crowd suspiciously. "Where is that guy that would foam from the mouth every time we came here?" He asked the chief.

"You mean Shenji?" He replied with a chuckle,"He isn't feeling to well."

Sokka frowned,"Aww..I wanted to show Zuko before he left."

"Actually, we're staying for a while. We all should take a break." Aang explained.

Sokka jumped and clapped,"Really? That's so great!" He said with his usual goofy grin. "For how long?" He continued, still excited.

"We don't know yet. I guess we can all just see how it plays out." Aang answered.

Suki gave a confused expression to the group,"Where did Mai go?" She asked after greeting her old friends.

"She's visiting Ty Lee." Zuko said looking down.

The chief returned,"We have prepared rooms. There are 3, so you can decide who's sharing and what not." He smiled and lead them to their house.

Sokka started walking backwards so he could talk to everybody at the same time,"Okay, me and Suki are sharing-"

Suki cut him off,"You seem pretty confident about that."

Sokka frowned,"Aren't you?"

She looked to the side,"Well, the other warriors haven't seen me in a long time. I think I should share the room with them. Just for tonight."

Sokka looked down disappointed and sighed,"Okay..Well then, me and Aang can share a room." He said, excited once again.

Aang stopped in his tracked,"Oh...well, you see.. I was kind of planning on sharing a room with-"

"Like old times!" Sokka shouted, acting like he hadn't just heard anything.

"Yeah.." Aang said with a sigh.

"And Katara, you can have that whole room to yourself!" Sokka went on.

"Yay." Katara said sarcastically.

"I thought you would like a room to yourself." Sokka said.

"Well it's our last night together, and I wanted to spend it _together_." She looked up to Sokka.

"It's just sleeping. You wouldn't be able to see whoever you're sharing with anyway."

Sokka cleared his throat to continue,"And I presume Zuko and Mai are sharing?" He said with a grin.

Zuko ignored him. Sokka waited, awkwardly, then continued,"Okay. That settles it. I gues.." He went back to walking beside Suki.

"And just in time." The chief said, hearing the conversation. They came to a stop at a small home. Not elegant, but not bad. Just simple.

Sokka pushed ahead of everybody to choose the biggest room. "Aang! Hurry up!" He yelled. Suki waved, knowing he wouldn't see, and went to the other warriors homes.

Zuko and Katara went to the two rooms that were left. One with a single bed, and one with a double.

Sokka peered around the corner,"Zuko probably should take the one with the double bed."

"Go back to your room!" Zuko shouted angrily.

"Fine gosh." Sokka said timidly.

There was knock at the door, and Mai poked her head in.

"Hey." Zuko said, walking up to her.

"Hi." She said, wrapping her arms around his neck to pull them closer.

"You're done visiting with Ty Lee?" He asked.

"Sort of.. I was going to ask if we could stay longer, but I guess we are staying the night..?" She asked.

"Yeah.. I guess we are." Zuko said with a smile.

Aang ran into the dining room,"The chief said they heard we are staying and are throwing a feast for us. It starts in a couple minutes."

The couple backed off of each other awkwardly. "You want to come?" Zuko asked.

"Sure, why not." Mai said with out looking at him.

Sokka ran into the dining room next,"Gah! Why didn't they say anything earlier?! I was in my sleep wear and everything!" He grunted as he struggled to get his shoes on.

"I think it's perfect timing. I'm just starting to get hungry." Katara yelled from her room.

They continued getting ready, and headed down towards the feast. There was a huge table with seats aligned on each side, and food that was spread on the top.

"Yum.." Sokka moaned with his mouth dripping. He took a seat right next to where a giant pig sheep lay on the table.

Aang rolled his eyes and started filling his plate with salad. Once everybody had food and was sitting, the chief stood at the end of the table.

"This feast was prepared for the young heroes that restored peace to this world. We thank the avatar and his friends, for ending the war that caused fear in the hearts of our people." The villagers bowed to them, and went on eating.

"Do you guys get this a lot?" Mai whispered to Zuko. He chuckled,"Kind of."

Sokka stuffed food in his face, all meat. Suki stared at him from across the table,"Don't forget your vegetables." She said crossing her arms.

"But Suki! Warriors don't eat vegetables, they eat meat." He pleaded.

"They eat both. In balanced amounts. I mean, Aang is more then two years younget than you, and look at him."Suki and Sokka turned and look at Aang, who had a plate of raw vegetables and salad, which looked almost color coated.

"Now look at yours." Suki said pointing to his plate full of chicken cow and pork.

Sokka groaned,"Fine. I'll go get your sill salad." He rose his eyebrows at the word. He got the least amount he could with out Suki noticing, and picked through the leaves.

Suki smiled,"Good."

Katara ate next to Aang. She reached for a bite, when something caught her eye,"Hey... Isn't that... Hawky?" She asked, staring at the flying object above.

Sokka looked up, with a hopeful look, but it suddenly turned back into a frown,"That's not Hawky." He went back to eating his salad.

The bird flew down across the table, startling the villagers. It landed in front of Zuko. He stared at it confused. Zuko reached for the note tied to his back,"It's from Ba Sing Se."

He opened the letter and started reading, when a horrified look crossed his face.

"What does it say?" Mai asked, suddenly interested.

"It's about Iroh.. It says he just had a heart attack." He turned to her, concerned.

"Is he okay?" She asked, putting her hand on his shoulder.

"Yeah..." He looked at her again.

"Do you want to go back to visit him?" Mai whispered.

He shook his head,"I need to get you home."

She scooted closer,"It's fine, I can stand being away from my family for a while."

Zuko smiled slightly, and put his arm around her waist.

"What did it say?" Aang asked.

Zuko forgot he was whispering before. "My uncle just had a heart attack."

Katara gasped,"Oh no! Is he okay?"

"I'm not sure. He doesn't sound too bad, from the letter." Zuko said, scanning over the words one more time.

"Do you want us to fly back to Ba Sing Se?" Aang asked.

Zuko hesitated, then shook his head,"I'm sure he will be fine. Besides, it's time I got back to the palace anyway."

The group all stared at Zuko with concerned looks, and some of the villagers joined in.

"Zuko, your uncle's more important then the palace." Mai lowered her voice again.

He remained silent, and sighed,"You're right.." Zuko looked up towards Aang,"If you don't mind-"

"I'd be glad to." Aang interrupted smiling. Zuko smiled and nodded, and went back to eating.

"So can we come?" Sokka asked hopefully.

"Sokka, that would take even longer. And we just got unpacked." Suki said, lowering her eyebrows.

"So, I wanna see Iroh.." He pouted. Suki ignored him and started talking to some other Kyoshi warriors.

An hour passed, and they thanked the chief for the meal, and headed back towards their home. Sokka pushed everybody out of the way again, and Suki called after him,"Wait!" She yelled.

"What?" He groaned, coming back.

"You forgot something." Suki said smiling, and kissed his cheek.

Sokka chuckled,"Oh. Sorry." He said, walking back into the house. He ran to the room he and Aang shared, and started bouncing on his knees on the bed. "So! What do you want to

do? Burping contest? Tell stories? Tell SCARY stories? Raid the cabinets for food? Ju-"

"Sleep." Aang groaned and face planted into his pillow.

Sokka's face went blank, he didn't think Aang would be so cranky,"Well..That's fun I guess..." He trailed off, and put a lid on the small flame that lit up the room.

Zuko stretched and removed his shirt.

"Do you want to leave tomorrow?" Mai asked from the bathroom.

"Whenever..That's fine, it's up to Aang.. Sort of.." He answered, unsure.

Mai peeked part of her out of the door way,"I didn't think it would be so hot here at night.. Can I borrow one of your shirts to sleep in?" She asked innocently.

Zuko swallowed,"Uhm, Sure.." He smiled weakly.

"..Kay.." Mai bit her lip and grabbed one of his shirts from his bag.

She shut the door to the bathroom and slipped it over her head. It was comfy, and smelt like Zuko. Mai smiled. It covered every where it needed to, but didn't cover her legs.

She opened the door and showed herself. Zuko's expression dropped when he saw her in his clothes. Both their faces slowly turned crimson.

Mai invited herself into bed and snuggled into him. He wrapped an arm around her, leaving one free to stroke up and down her thigh.

Katara unpinned her hair and sighed. She was no where near tired. She closed her eyes, trying to force sleep. But she couldn't. She wished she haden't eaten as much sugar as she had. Katara didn't notice she ate so much. She dragged herself out of bed and tip toed past Mai and Zuko's room. She started towards the balcony, where she saw Momo and Appa sleeping happily. She thought of how much she would miss her brother in the South Pole. And she thought about her future with Aang. And, she thought about how she would break the news of their relationship to her father.

Thanks for reading.. I really had no idea how to end this chapter ;P

I'll update soon ;D


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

The night passed quite quickly, to Zuko's surprise. With so much on his mind, he barely believed he could even shut his eyes. Mai had been sleeping next to him with nothing on but his shirt, and his uncle had just had a heart attack. But, surprisingly had enough energy to stay awake on Appa all the way back to Ba Sing Se. He turned his to look at Mai, who was fast asleep on Appa's back. Zuko stroked her face with his thumb to wake her up, and slowly her eyes fluttered open.

He smiled when she awoke,"We're here." Mai smiled and place his hand in her own.

"Me and Katara will just wait out here with Appa untill your done." Aang called from Appa's head. He stretched and got himself comfortable, knowing this would be a while, and Katara did the same. Zuko helped Mai off of Appa and they both walked into the back of the tea shop where Iroh lived. Zuko paused in the door way. Mai turned to him,"Do you want to talk to him alone." He thought about this, and nodded. She cuffed his chin in her hand and kissed him lightly, before he entered. Iroh was up against the bed post, half awake. When he saw Zuko, his eyes sprung open.

"Hello my nephew, I am so glad to see you. Did you fly all the way back here?" Iroh asked him.

"Yeah.. We got a letter.. Are you okay?" Zuko asked, taking a seat at the edge of his bed.

Iroh chuckled and nodded,"I've had worse."

Zuko smiled, he was happy his uncle was in such a positive mood about this whole thing,"I'm glad to hear you're okay." There was a long silence, until Iroh spoke up.

"Is Mai here with you?" He asked.

Zuko looked up,"Yeah, She's outside." He rubbed the back of his neck,"About Mai..." He started.

"Yes?" Iroh asked.

Zuko swallowed,"I was thinking.. I think I ... Want to ask her to marry me." He looked out of the corner of his eye to see Iroh's expression. He was smiling widely.

"I'm so happy to hear that, my nephew! I'm glad you found somebody you love so much that you would devote the rest of your life to them." Iroh said excitedly.

Zuko smiled to himself, those last few words buzzing in his head.

"Have you gotten a betrothal necklace?" Iroh asked, curious.

"No, but before we left the palace I was looking. A lot." Zuko shrugged.

"Just haven't found the right one yet I see.." Iroh smiled,"Well you have my blessing." He said with a hug.

"Don't tell Mai." Zuko spat out quickly,"I want it to be a surprise."

Iroh chuckled again,"I'm sure it will be." His face went serious,"But I hear you only came to check on me. And you did. So now go back to the Fire Nation and find a good necklace, alright?"

Zuko grinned,"Right." They hugged once more, and Zuko raised himself off his bed to leave. "You sure you're okay?" He asked before heading out the door.

"I'm fine, now hurry." He smiled and gestured his hand to leave. Zuko nodded and shut the door behind him. Mai was sitting on a bench beside the door. She looked up at him,"You're already done?" She asked. Zuko smiled hugely,"Yes. Now let's go." He said grabbing her hand and practically running back to Appa. Aang gave Zuko a weird look before taking the reins, "That was pretty quick. You sure you're done?" He asked suspiciously.

"Yes, now go." Zuko said, too happy to frown. Mai stared at him,"You okay?" She asked, concerned.

He smiled and nodded,"Perfect."

Appa lunged into the air on Aang's command, and the city grew more and more out of sight. Aang had traveled this way many times, and he knew that if he turned in the right direction, which he did, that he basically just had to keep flying straight. He told this to Appa and fell asleep. Katara lay watching Aang, and his peacefullness eventually led her to sleep.

Mai lay down and propped herself up on her elbow, facing Zuko. A slow smile spread across her face. Her skin lit up as the moon slowly started to rise, and her eyes reflected the fading colors of the sun. She had left her hair down, knowing it would get messed up flying anyway. Zuko felt his face redden at the sight of her. He set his hands on her shoulders and leaned in until their lips met. Mai's hands soothed up his back and wrapped around his neck, deepening their kiss. Her scent filled Zuko's head until he was dazed, and his heart took control. He kissed down her jawline until he was at her neck, where his lips traveled up and down hungrily. A soft groan built up in his throat and escaped as his lips parted again, and the sound made Mai's heart flutter. Zuko reached the back of her thigh to wrap her leg around his lower torso. Part of Mai was beginning to worry if she wasn't going to be able to stop, but another part that didn't want to dominated her actions. Their tongues met, and danced in eachothers mouths. They could hear eachothers rough breathing between kisses. Zuko's eyes peeked open, he wanted to see Mai's expression, but his vision was blurred. He could tell fire was building inside him. He turned away from her and breathed it out roughly, but all Mai could feel was the heat. He slammed his mouth back to hers, and his hands roamed up her shirt. Mai gasped at the impact of this, she wasn't expecting it so quickly. She normally would have stopped him, but for some reason she didn't. Mai _wanted _it. She gasped again, and then moaned softly. _Why am I making so much noise? _She was surprised she could think straight. Hearing Mai do this just made Zuko more eager to give in to the urge to take her clothes off. But that would embarrase her if the others woke up, he thought. He traced the corners of her mouth with his tongue, and it welcomed her taste. The deeper they got into their love for eachother, the more Mai started to get this strange urge she had never felt before. She wanted, for some reason, to lick him. Eventually, she couldn't fight this urge anymore, and Zuko felt a warm trace run up his face. His vision blurred more, and he felt dizzy. They continued exploring, and enjoying the feel and taste of one another until they fell asleep.

Hours passed, and Mai finaly opened her eyes, and the moon shone bright over head. It was a little too bright. She rubbed her eye and turned herself over to see Zuko. He was still asleep, his arm outstetched infront of him where it used to wrap around her. She bit her lip to hide her smile, and nuzzled herself into him again and pretended she was sleeping. She felt his body move, and he nibbled her ear,"I know you're faking." Zuko whispered playfully. She hid her face in his chest to hide her giggle, and he kissed the top of her head gently.

Katara heard movement, and lifted herself from her sleeping position. She softly nudged Aang,"Aang, I think we are almost there. Wake up." She whispered soothingly. He squinted against the moon light, and looked into the distance. He saw the mountain that hid the Fire Nation come closer and closer. He turned around to tell Zuko and Mai, who were already watching. "We're almost there." Aang said, as they prepared to drop off the last two people that made up the group.

Pretty short.. I know xD... Chapt. 5 will be up soon ;)


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

It was sunset, and Katara, Aang, Zuko and Mai had just said their goodbyes. Mai and Zuko watched as Appa disappeared behind the clouds.

"I should walk you home." Zuko offered, taking Mai's hand in his before she could object. They walked across the street from the palace to her home.

Mai sighed,"Bye.." She groaned. He chuckled and wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"You will be fine. I mean, you won't die." He smiled as she turned herself around and reached up to kiss him. She moaned silently feeling his lips brush against hers.

"Go on." Mai could hear Zuko's smirk in his voice. She groaned again.

"Come on Mai, it was hard on all of them to see you move out, you can at least visit them for one night." He cupper her chin.

She looked up and frowned at him. Zuko gave a small smile, then put his hands on her shoulders to turn her around and lead her up the steps.

Mai reached for the door handle, and paused,"Wait, can we make plans tonight so I won't have to see them for long?" She asked hopefully.

He sighed,"Yes." Another smile crept onto his face, and he looked down to hide it,"Meet me at the fountain. Around eight, okay?"

Her smile fell, and she groaned softly again,"That gives them time."

Zuko chuckled, "Go on." He repeated, nudging her towards the handle. She turned it open, and invited herself in.

He stood there for a minute, to make sure she wouldn't try to make a run for it. After a while, he started to walk down the streets of the city. He turned to the jewelry store, trying not to catch any attention. If people saw him looking at betrothal necklaces, they would start assuming. Then, the word would get out, and it wouldn't be much of a surprise when he eventually asked Mai. He looked at each necklace, until he came to a new one that hadn't been there last time. It was round, with red and clear crystals in a patturn around the center. _That one_, he thought. That was the one. He was sure of it. He opened the door discreatly and hurried in. Zuko turned around to make sure nobody saw, and nobody did. He sighed, relieved.

"Can I help you?" A lady in her twentys asked from behind the counter. When she saw him clearly, she flustered. "Oh, hi. I didn't know you were into jewelry."

"What? Oh.." He chuckled ,"I'm not, really. I'm getting this." He handed the necklace he chose to her.

Her eyes widened,"Oh, wow," She said checking the price tag,"For Mai, I pressume."

"How do you know her?" Zuko asked, suspiciously.

She smiled,"Basically everybody knows her now." She looked up at him,"That's-"

He interrupted by handing her the exact amount from his pocket.

"Wow. You just carry that around with you?" She said, smirking. She grabbed it from him and placed it under the counter.

"Well.. I kind of knew I would be getting it today." He said staring at the sparkling necklace.

"Hmm." She handed the necklace to him and smiled. "Hope she says yes." She said kindly.

Zuko did too, it worried him,"Me too." He gave her a smile and went back outside. He hid the necklace in his pocket, and made sure nobody saw him in there. Nobody acted like they had noticed. He took a breath, and started back towards his palace. He didn't realize it was already so dark out. He hoped it wasn't passed eight.

Zuko started quickly to the fountain. Eventually, he got there. He was relieved to see Mai wasn't there yet. He took a seat at the fountain's edge, and waited. A few minutes passed, and he pulled out the necklace from his pocket. He watched it shimmer and reflect the water from the fountain. A few more minutes passed, and he put the necklace away again. Then even more minutes passed. _Why is she taking so long? _He thought to himself. He shook his head. _It's probably because I'm so anxious that it's taking this long.. _Zuko told himself. Then, he realized a whole hour had passed, and she still didn't show. Zuko slowly started to feel irritated. He didn't want to propose in this mood. Just thinking about it made him more irritated. Then, another hour passed. He was still alone. His irritation started turning into depression. His shoulders slumped. _She might have just not been allowed to leave.. _But then again, Mai's family didn't really mind when she went out with him. His head drooped, and he lifted himself from his sitting position. He trudged to his palace, and turned to look at Mai's house. He decided to give it one last try. Maybe Mai assumed that he would come get her or something. Zuko walked to the door, and knocked. Mai's mother opened the door. She smiled when she saw him,"Hello, Fire Lord Zuko."

He nodded,"Is Mai home?" He peeked behind her to see if she was inside. He didn't see her.

"Mai? She left a few hours ago. We thought she was with you." A worried look started to cross her face.

Zuko swallowed,"She knows where the fountain is..I waited there for two hours, and she didn't come."

They both new that wasn't like her. Something was wrong. Mai's mother gestured him to come in, and hurried to another room.

"Mai's missing." She said to her husband, sounding worried.

Zuko stood by the door, and waited for them. Mai's father entered the room he was in. "She isn't with you?" He asked.

Zuko shook his head,"Last time I saw her was when I dropped her off here." Now Zuko was starting to get worried.

"I saw her leave." Mai's mother added from behind.

"I'll get a search party." Zuko said.

They both nodded, and headed outside to look for themselves.

Zuko hurried to the palace, and went to his gaurds. "Mai's missing." He announced, trying to stay calm. "You all know what she looks like." He thought about the way Mai looked in his shirt, and shook his head,"We will search the Fire Nation until we find her." His hands clenched into fists. "Go." He said, not looking at the crowd of gaurds.

The gaurds searched the city first, asking every person that had been there if they had seen anybody that matched the description of Mai. Nobody had seen her.

Zuko searched in the areas he knew nobody else would. He wanted to make sure he check every where before moving to another city. He swore, he had searched everywhere multiple times, and there was no sign of her. He ran his fingers through his hair, and rubbed his temples, aggitated. He _would_ find her, he told himself. He sent the gaurds home so they could rest for tomorrow's search. But Zuko didn't stop. He wouldn't stop, not until he found her.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"Aang get up!" The children of the village yelled. Aang groaned and flew his blankets over his head. One of the children shook his shoulder,"But Aang, Master Pakku needed something from you I think." Aang had almost forgotten about Pakku coming back down to the South Pole to marry Katara's grandmother. Or the fact that he had flown across the world the night before."Oh." Aang lifted his head out of bed and rubbed his eye. "Fine." He lifted himself out of bed and started for the new watch tower, where he saw Pakku. The children followed eagerly behind.

"Morning Avatar Aang." Pakku said with out looking at Aang, waterbending small details onto the new watch tower.

"Morning." Aang greeted, then looked up at the tower," Did you build this? It looks incredible." The tower had archs and ridges that decorated up the tower and turned outward at the top.

"Much better than Sokka's." Aang added.

Pakku chuckled,"Yeah, I could tell. A strong supportive tower would of been able to withhold when a child runs into it." He said stepping back, admiring his work.

He whiped his hands,"Now that that's settled." Pakku said, and turned around and lunged a gallon of water at him. Aang quickly blew air out and spun backwards.

"What are you-" He breathed.

"I wanted to see if you have improved since our last visit." Pakku said, spreading ice quickly up to where Aang stood. He melted it with a ball of fire.

"I would like to think so." Aang said, dodging his next attack.

Aang eventually grew tired, and pulled as much earth out of the ground as he could. It was enough to trap Pakku in a pile of rocks. He sighed in relief as the children cheered.

"Good work." Pakku paused,"Except I didn't see any waterbending." He said with a laugh.

Aang let Pakku down, and the two went back to the rest of the village. Katara was talking with her grandmother and father, who had been able to return home now that the war was over. Aang bowed to Hakoda," Hakoda." He greeted respectfully. He looked up to Katara,"Morning Katara."

"Morning." She said smiling brightly.

"Morning Avatar." Hakoda greeted warmingly, and wrapped his arm around Aang's shoulders, which made him lose his balance.

"Morning." Aang said from under him. Katara and her grandmother laughed.

"You two go and get breakfeast, you are probably starved, flying all day." Katara's grandmother shook her head at the thought.

"Alright." Katara said, grabbing Aang's hand and pulling him where she knew the food would be. Aang struggled not to trip as she pulled them towards a small hut with smoke coming out of the top. He could smell bacon frying. Katara pulled them to a stop.

"Oh, my grandmother doesn't know you're a vegetarian." She looked over at him worried.

"Well.. That's okay.. I guess-"

Katara cut him off,"Oh! I remember we have dried sea prunes also!" She smiled and pushed him into the hut.

Aang's stomach churned,"It's okay, I'm not that hungry any way.." He shook the thought of eating dried sea prunes away.

She gave him a weird look,"Okay... But you're missing out." She gave him a smile and picked up a plate.

Aang smiled at her and walked outside and back to his igloo. He sat in the middle of the floor and rubbed his temples. A thought occurred to him, and his eyes widened. _Roku,_

he thought. He hadn't had a talk with Roku since the war ended. There was no reason to. But, just because he ended a war, doesn't mean the avatar will no longer be of use.

He pressed his fists together, and closed his eyes. Aang balanced all of his energies into one. He had done this many times before, and now had it down to basics.

When his eyes opened again, he was in the sky. He looked down, and noticed he was sitting on a cloud. He remembered jumping into a cloud once, and realizing it was made of water. _This means I'm in the spirit world, _Aang thought. He looked back up, and saw Roku sitting in front of him, a stern look on his face.

"Roku?" Aang asked.

"Avatar Aang, have you forgotten your duties as avatar?" Roku immediately challenged.

Aang blinked,"What do you-"

"Since the war ended, you haven't given any thought on the state of the world."

Aang stared at him, bewildered. He thought he would congratulate him on ending the war, not give him a lecture. If he would have known he wouldn't of even visited the spirit world.

Roku sighed,''I'm sorry I got so upset with you. But, you haven't given any thought to the future of the next avatars."

Aang was confused. _The next avatars? Why would I worry about them? I've already created a care free world for everybody.. _Aang tried thinking of reasons Roku would bring the following avatars up.

"You see, Aang. You are the last of your kind. When you die, the next avatar will be a water bender, then earth, then fire, and then, what next?" Roku asked.

"Ai-" Now Aang saw the problem,"Oh." He whispered.

Roku nodded,"Air. But if the air benders are extinct, how will there be an air bending Avatar? And how will the following avatars learn air bending? The cycle is at sake."

Aang was in deep concentration,"What can I do?" He felt helpless.

"You must rebuild what was destroyed, and repopulate the air nomads." Roku explained.

Aang's eyes widened with shock. He couldn't do it. He was much too young. Aang had never even thought twice about fatherhood. He shook his thoughts away. He was the avatar. Whatever he had to do to keep peace, he would do. He swallowed,"How much time do I have?"

"The world is _now _at peace, so when ever you are ready. But you must not wait too long, Aang. The world will not always be at peace. I have seen visions of the near future, and your strength will once again be tested. The world will always need somebody to rely on, and that is why the avatar must always be reincarnated."

Aang's eyes sprung open, and he sprung up from his sleeping position. He caught his breath, as if he had just had a nightmare. Aang looked out the window, and saw the sun over head. He closed his eyes and lay back down on the floor mat. Then, his eyes opened again, _wait, I don't remember going to sleep.. _Aang thought it must have been a dream. He chuckled at himself.

"Just a dream. Of course it was." He nuzzled into his pillow and smiled. But the words of Roku swarmed in his head the rest of the day.

OoOoOoOOoOoOOoOooOoOoOooOoOooOoOoOOoOoOooOoOoOOoOoOooOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOOOoOOoOoOoOoOOoOoOoOooOoOOoOoOoOOoOoOooO

"Gooooooooooooooooood mornin'. " Sokka greeted as he hugged Suki from behind.

She giggled,"Morning.. Well, I should say afternoon. Since you slept in so long."

"A man needs his rest." He said, pointing a playful finger at Suki. Sokka reached both his hands into the air to stretch, then they both drooped to his sides.

Suki looked at him,"What's the matter?" She asked.

He sighed,"I miss Hawky."

Suki chuckled," You just can't separate a boy from his messenger hawk." She teased him.

"No, you can't! ... And it's MAN!" He defended sheepishly. Suki giggled again. She prepared two omlettes for Sokka, and one for herself. Sokka automatically began stuffing his face, and Suki stared at him. Sokka began feeling insecure,"What?" He asked, omlette spilling from his mouth.

She smiled,"I really don't know why you appeal to me so much." She teased him while taking a bite.

Sokka rolled his eyes,"Haha." He said sarcastically.

She patted his head and went back to eating. The couple was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"I'll get it." Suki reassured him and lifted herself from the table. Sokka watched curiously.

Suki opened the door and a short messenger revealed himself," A message for Sokka of the Water Tribe and Warrior Suki, from the royal palace." The messenger bowed his head, and handed Suki a scroll.

"Um.. Thanks.." She said, trying to remain friendly and shut the door. Suki began unraveling the scroll, but Sokka snatched it from her.

"Hey!" Suki said putting her hands on her hips.

"The messenger said it was from the royal palace, which means it's from Zuko. Which means, it's for me." Sokka explained, beginning to skim the letter.

"The messenger _also _said it was for _both _of us." Suki said trying to grab the letter, but Sokka dodged her easily.

"Ugh. Fine." Suki pouted and folded her arms, pretending to not care about the letter.

"Uh oh." Sokka said, his shoulders slumping.

"What is it?" Suki asked, suddenly interested,"Is it from Zuko?"

Sokka nodded slowly,"Yes." His voice was dull.

"Well, what is it?" Suki asked, starting to get irritated.

Sokka swallowed and met her stare,"Mai's gone missing."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

_ Then, he could see her. Her hair, her eyes, her body, her perfection. It was all exposed to him. And there was nothing separating them, but at the same time, everything was. _

_He wanted to feel her again, to touch her. His hand reached for her, with out asking his head for permission. But, he couldn't reach far enough. She was always too far away_

_from him. He took a step forward, but he hadn't moved. He tried again, and nothing happened. He then decided he would try running. But, the distance between them never _

_closed. He wanted to yell her name, to catch her attention somehow, but his voice was a whisper. Small tears began to spill from his eyes and drip off of his chin. He tried _

_screaming, but his voice remained silent. After a while, he realized he couldn't even speak. He was nothing. He couldn't move, or reach out to her, though she was right in front _

_of him. Her voice rang in his head, which caused him even more pain. Now, he was desperate. He fell to the floor, and let his tears drain until there was nothing left, and he _

_could no longer cry. He screamed her name, and this time, it made a sound. His eyes sprung open and he tried again. He screamed her name countless times, but she couldn't _

_hear him no matter how hard he tried. He screamed so many times, he hardly lost his voice. She turned around to look at him, but she saw nothing. She turned back around _

_and walked away until she was completely out of sight. He tried to crawl out to her, but he was stiff. He couldn't move at all anymore. The farther she walked away, the more he _

_lost who he was. The more his voice faded, and the more he became statue like, the more he wanted to die. _

Zuko's eyes opened with terror and he sprung up from his sleeping position. He sighed, realizing it was just a nightmare. He rubbed his eyes and lifted himself from his bed. He stretched and trudged to his bathroom, having to kick his way through the mess he made. Zuko had other things to worry about other than how clean his bedroom was. He stared at his sink, staring into the drain. It was pitch black, and looked never ending. He sighed and turned the water on to wash his face. Zuko looked up at the mirror, and noticed that nothing was looking back at him. His reflection was gone. The only image he could see was the reflection of the wall. He shook his head, maybe he was still not all the way awake. But, nothing happened. He splashed his face quickly with water, and looked back up. He sighed with relief, when he saw his reflection staring back at him. Zuko rested his hands on both sides of his sink, and closed his eyes. He waited until no more water was dripping from his face. Then, he reached for his towel. When he was done, he checked his mirror one more time, just to make sure he was still there. He was. His shoulders slumped, and he started his office to see if there was any reports of her. He kicked the door open, remembering the many stacks of useless files he had thrown in front of it. He locked the door behind him, and sunk into his chair. He stared at the three new files in front of him, and sighed. Zuko began flipping through them, until a name caught his eye. He saw the name 'Sokka of the Water Tribe' on a new file he hadn't read before. _Maybe he got my letter. _Zuko thought, feeling a bit eager for the first time all week. _Took long enough. _He added. He peeled it open and saw the words ' Dear Zuko ' and the words ' From your buddy Sokka ' He began to read,

**Dear Zuko, **

** I got your letter. It came late, since, you know, the fact that we are pretty much on the other side of the world.. Sort of.. Any ways, I wanted to tell you we are on our way. Suki is coming too, I thought she could help.. Probably. It might take us a while to get going, since I have to tame the Unagi. **

Zuko snorted and read on,

**And about what happened, I'm really sorry man. I'll do everything I can to help you find Mai.**

Zuko shot his head down, and slammed his eyes shut. His hands curled into fists, and he clenched his jaw. He had been trying not to think about her name, just hearing it said out loud made him want to cry or break something, or both. He cleared his head, and drew a big breath, and continued reading, now prepared for what he might come across again.

**I've been thinking about it a lot, and I remember her not being the ' I got lost on the way home' type of girl. I know it's hard for you to think about, but do you think she might have been, you know, taken?**

Zuko's hands curled into fists again, and fire escaped from his mouth. He shot his head down, trying not to burn the letter. But part of him wanted to burn it. Every sentence pained him. Zuko failed to contain himself, and he turned and smashed the vase that was on the corner of his desk. The sound of it shattering against the floor made his eyes widen in shock. He stared at the pieces of glass on the floor, and caught his breath. He looked down at the floor beneath him. He _had _thought of that being a possibility before, but that was when he was still determined on finding her. He slumped back into his chair, and the words of his mother ran through his head, _Never forget who you are. _And the inscription on his old dagger rang in his mind, _Never give up with out a fight. _Thoughts of his mother now roamed his mind, the two people he loved the most were missing. He remembered sending some of his highest skilled troops on a mission to find his mother, until he had the time to help. Now he wished he had them back. He needed them. Zuko had almost forgotten about the letter, and took a deep breath to continue reading,

**I know the chances of that are small, in this time of peace. But, I just wanted to make sure you knew it was a possibility. I'm pretty sure you want Aang's help as well? Did you send a letter? I guess we will find out when we get there. Oh! That reminds me, Suki just told me it will take to long to tame the Unagi, so we are taking these big lizard snake things! I heard they are really fast, and scare away other animals, so that will be good.. And if you are planning to write back.. Do you think there is any chance of Azula or Ozai being the ones behind this whole thing?**

**Your buddy,**

** Sokka**

Zuko was too shocked to react, or be angry again. That was something he hadn't thought about. Azula hated him, and now he was pretty sure she hated .. _her_ too. Ozai hated him as well, but there was really nothing he could do. He was locked up and his bending was completely gone. If it was either of the two, it had to be Azula. But she was pretty much locked up as well, in a sense. He rubbed his temples, trying to clear his head, but he was too agitated. He could imagine Azula's blood drawn eyes, searching for his beloved. Her evil hands gripping her, holding her captive, and there was nothing she could do. Zuko pounded on his table, in order to distract his mind from thinking that way. He began to write a letter to the institution his sister was now living in. It asked to double the guards that surrounded her room and windows, and asked to make sure she had no contact with the outside world until she was better. He set it in the pile of other letters that would be sent later that day. Then, another thought crossed his mind. Maybe Ozai and Azula were working together some how. The prisoners _were _aloud to write a letter once every two months to their families. And the institution had a delivery system. Zuko lifted himself from his chair, and started for the prison to pay his father a visit.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 **

Sokka crawled his way onto his lizard snake. He groaned, and kicked the animal in a bunch of different places in attempt not to fall off, which made it hiss.

"Sokka, you're going to make it bite you." Suki warned as she quickly leaped onto hers.

He groaned with irritation,"I'm trying not to, but it's hard. I don't think my leg is fully recovered." Sokka rubbed his leg, as if he was trying to comfort it. Suki rolled her eyes and waved goodbye to her old friends, when she noticed somebody was missing.

"Wait, where is Ty Lee?" Suki asked, scanning the crowd incase she had missed her.

Sokka shook his head,"It doesn't matter. We have to-" He stopped when he saw that familiar over-cheerful smile on that familiar over-cheerful face.

"Guys, wait!" Ty Lee yelled as she stumbled in front of the two,"I want to come with you. I want to help Mai." Her expression was suddenly concerned.

Both Suki and Sokka sighed, then they turned to each other and nodded.

"If you want to come, you have to either ride with Suki, or get your own lizard snake... thing.. Cuz I ain't sharin'. " Sokka explained, while using the reins to turn the giant animal.

"Oh, I'll get my own." Ty Lee turned around, to see if she could spot one.

Suki chuckled,"No, it's okay. You can share with me. That way if one of us gets tired, we can switch who steers us. That way we can both get plenty of rest." She said this, shooting a playful look at Sokka.

He snorted,"Strong men like me don't need rest. Now, let's get going." Sokka whipped the reins which made the animal jump, then start running towards the sea. Ty Lee jumped behind Suki, and then Suki imitated Sokka. The animals swam across the water quickly and easily, and before they knew it the group had reached a mining village Sokka recognized.

"Hey, I've been here before." Sokka said smiling widely.

"That's great Sokka, but we need some more water. Hurry up, we don't want to be in the middle of the ocean at night." Suki waved her hand in dismissal.

Sokka nodded, and limped his way to the closest market.

"Welcome to-" The store clerk greeted, but Sokka quickly interrupted.

"Yeah yeah, good to see ya. All I need is water, and I need it fast." He shot the man a serious look, and the clerk poured his water pouch all the way to the top.

Sokka gave him a smile,"Thanks." He set the money on the table and hurried back to the shore, where Suki and Ty Lee waited. They had traded positions, so now Ty Lee was commanding the lizard snake. Suki gave him a worried look,"Sokka, I don't think it would be very smart to leave right now. The suns setting and-"

"Suki we have to. I promised Zuko we would get there as soon as we can, which means we have to leave." Sokka crawled back onto his animal, and took the reins.

"But Sokka, your leg needs rest. The position you've been sitting in is irritating it, that's why it's hurting you." Suki explained.

"My leg doesn't matter. I know if I lost you, I would want as much help finding you as I could get." Sokka turned to give her an apologetic smile, that made Suki feel if she were standing her knees would go weak. Sokka immediately charged back into the water, causing the entire village to stare. Ty Lee turned around and blushed. She was used to getting attention, but usually people just acted intimidated around her. But these people smiled and looked up to her. It made her feel guilty, knowing she was once against them all. Suki charged after him, and Ty Lee almost flipped off the back end. They traveled for another hour, and the sun began to set.

"Sokka.." Suki sounded worried.

"I know. We're almost there." Sokka shot her a look of determination, then leaned forward into his seat, which caused the animal to move faster through the current of the water. Another few minutes passed, and Ty Lee and Suki's heads shot up. Sokka looked puzzled,"What is it?" He asked.

They stared at him and spoke in unison,"We just felt a bump."

Sokka was now starting to get worried, and part of him wished he would of stayed at the mining village for the night.

"We are going pretty fast, it was probably just a wave." He said, trying to keep things positive. But Ty Lee shrieked when she felt it again.

"There's something under us!" She screamed and hid her face in her hands.

Suki shot him a terrified look. They were stranded. There was nothing they could do if anything decided to attack them, at least not in water. Sokka hoped Ty Lee knew how to swim. He turned his head towards the horizon,"Just lean forward. It will make him go faster. Just a little bit father." Sokka could see the Fire Nation in clear view. Suki obediently leaned forward, and to her surprise the animal took full charge ahead, almost passing Sokka. Ty Lee held onto Suki in security, making sure she didn't fall off. Suki yelled when something caught her eye," There, I see an island. Let's stay there until whatever that thing is leaves." She said, already turning her animal around.

Sokka didn't want to argue, and followed her. The closer they got to the shore, the more the thing chasing them revealed itself.

"What is that?!" Ty Lee yelled when she saw different colors showing themselves directly behind the group.

Sokka noticed it looked strangely alike to the Unagi.

"It must be a sea monster of some kind." Suki said, feeling somewhat relived that they were getting so close to land.

"A sea monster?!?!" Ty Lee screamed and hid her face again.

"We'll be fine. As long as we make it all the way to the shore, it should give up." Sokka said, leaning forward as far as he could to keep up with them.

They sped their animals up as much as they could, until they eventually reached the shore. They jumped from their lizard snakes and ran up the beach, until they new it was impossible for the monster to reach them. Ty Lee hid behind a tree just incase. Suki and Sokka watched the water attentively, so they could at least get a glimpse of the sea animal. A few minutes passed, and they gave up. At least they knew its colors. Sokka immediately started to gather sticks for a fire, and Suki stared up at the trees for fruit. If she spotted anything, she would ask Ty Lee to climb the trunk to get it for her. Her Kyoshi uniform strictly disallowed climbing. As soon as they had shelter and food, they began talking about where Mai might be.

Sokka stroked his imaginary beard,"She might be at the Boiling Rock." He doubted it himself, but he had to put it out there.

Suki shook her head,"Not likely. If Azula _is _the one behind this, she wouldn't choose a place we know inside and out. And since Zuko is fire lord, rescuing Mai from there would be no problem." She looked towards the sky, lost in thought.

Eventually, all stares ended on Ty Lee.

"What?" She chirped. They waited for her to say something. Ty Lee sighed,"There is only one place Azula would ever hold somebody captive, _if _she is. There are small districts that align the Fire Nation. They actually create a perimeter around the entire country, but the districts are so spread out you can't tell, plus, they're small. Smaller islands than Kyoshi, in fact. But, Azula hadn't had contact with any of the islands since we were somewhat friends. At least, I don't think she has." Ty Lee trailed off, staring into the fire.

"I don't think that is likely, either. Azula is completely locked up, from what I know. How would she be able to kidnap somebody in the middle of the Fire Nation, take them to a Fire Nation district, lock Mai up in some kind of prison, and go back to her institution with out anybody turning her in?" Suki challenged.

Ty Lee bit her lip,"Well, you see... Azula's institution is actually _on _an island. In fact, it's on the same island one of the districts is located. Zuko especially chose that institution since it's the one farthest from his nation, but close enough to visit if he needed to." She explained.

Sokka reached up to stroke at his imaginary beard again, but he snapped his fingers in realization instead,"So if it was Azula, which I would bet all of my money on, by the way.. She must of somehow snuck out, which is believable, since Aang didn't remove her bending.. Then, managed to sneak her way through the city, and taken Mai by surprise..?" He wanted to somewhat sound confused, incase he ended up way off.

"That does sound like something Azula would do..." Suki agreed.

Ty Lee sighed," Poor Zuko." She whispered, though Suki and Sokka heard.

Suki frowned, and Sokka once again tried to keep them positive,"We'll find her. There's no doubt about it." He then tried to change the subject," And since we are all guessing Azula is behind this, I guess this means she's back to her normal self.."

Ty Lee nodded,"I guess so. I knew she would be back to normal in no time. As soon as she thinks of a plan, for revenge, or any other reason, no matter what condition she was in before just doesn't matter. She was always so positive, and always had a trick up her sleeve..." She trailed off again.

"I wish she was still crazy. If she was off balance it would be way easier to defeat her." Sokka complained.

Suki shot him a look to quiet him down, she didn't want to offend Ty Lee, she knew she still felt for Azula. Sokka looked to the side awkwardly,"So who will break the news to Zuko." He asked.

They both glared at him, but only Suki spoke up,"Well, since you're both such great buddies how about you?" She teased.

Sokka sighed,"Fine. But the next time something horrible happens that Zuko needs to know about, I'm not saying _anything." _

Suki and Ty Lee giggled.

A few hours later they were all fast asleep, all except Suki. She watched the water, and once the only movement was the waves, she threw a small rock into the sea to make sure the monster wasn't just hiding. The water remained still. Her eyes widened, and she gently shook Ty Lee and Sokka's shoulders.

"Guys, I think the monster is gone. Want to keep going? We shouldn't run into too much trouble, a town with a hotel is just over that way." She explained pointing in the direction of the town. Sokka yawned, and nodded. He lifted himself up and started towards where the lizard snakes fell asleep. Ty Lee lifted herself up and wiped her eye.

Suki noticed this, and figured she must have been crying,"What's wrong."

Once Ty Lee noticed Suki saw her, tears started streaming from her face,"I feel so bad!" She threw her face in her hands. "My best friend in the entire world besides you is missing. And I didn't even have a chance to say goodbye to her when I left to Kyoshi." She coughed back tears and covered her face with her knees. Suki patted her back, trying to comfort her. And once she felt well enough to stand up, she lead them both to the lizard snakes. They both jumped onto the one next to Sokka, and they all quietly entered the sea.

"Took you two long enough." Sokka whispered.

Suki shot him another look, which once again shut him up.

They continued to the town, and once they reached it, it was already the next morning.

__________________________________

thanks for reading ^^ I had a few ideas

on how to end this chapt. but I just

decided to go with this one x]

Please give reviews ^^


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

_The day before_

Zuko walked all of the way to the prison where his father was kept. The more he thought about his beloved, the faster his feet took him, and by the time he could actually see the prison he had started running. The guards exchanged looks when they saw the Fire Lord running towards them. Zuko sped past them, and hurried to Ozai's cell. By the time he was standing in front of it, he stopped himself. Ozai might know where she is. He might be able to solve Zuko's problem with out even knowing. But, how would he get Ozai to tell him? There was no way. He wouldn't even tell Zuko where his own mother is. Why in the world would he tell him where his girlfriend is? When he loves her so much that he is going somewhat insane? Zuko wanted to make sure his hair wasn't messed up, so Ozai didn't think he was actually running to his cell. If he knew Zuko was that desperate, then he might not speak. He took a breath, and opened the door.

Ozai was against the back wall, his hair sprawled out onto the floor. Zuko frowned at him,"I know what you're up to." He had to remain confident, even if his theory was wrong.

Ozai sniffed,"Well, if it isn't my trader of a son. Here to ask about your mother again?" He egged Zuko on.

Zuko ignored his comment,"Where is she?" He asked darkly.

Even Ozai was almost surprised of how flat Zuko's tone was. Almost. "I told you, your mother could be anywhere." Ozai told him, annoyed by his over-asked question.

Zuko took hold of the iron bars that separated the two for support,"I'm talking about Mai!" Zuko screamed. He couldn't believe he had just said her name. His heart thudded in his chest.

Ozai gave him a questioning look,"I don't even know a Mai. You're wasting your time." He remained calm.

"Don't lie! I know you're behind this whole thing! You are obviously planning with Azula!" Zuko shouted. He didn't even care if he was wrong. He needed to yell at someone, for some reason.

Ozai shot him a look,"Yes, Zuko. I've managed to sneak out of my cell when ever I want, swim across the ocean to your sister on an island, that is unknown to the citizens of the Fire Nation, got permission by the guards to visit her, plot with her, and both hired an assassin to steal Mai, a girl I don't even know." He explained, showing a hint of irritation and sarcasm.

Zuko tried not to look like an idiot,"Well, the institution gives family members the location of the island!" He shouted, desperate.

"Zuko, leave. I don't know who or what you are talking about." Ozai explained calmly.

Zuko's mouth twitched with anger," I'm not leaving until I at least have a clue to where she might be! If Azula is behind this, you must know of a place she might hide her!" He yelled at him.

Ozai sighed silently, annoyed,"The only prison like place we had ever both known about, that you haven't, is a small,secret, hidden chamber in the bottom of an active volcano. Actually, many of our ally's knew of it. None of the warriors or guards or any type of police figure knows where it is. So, when assassins wanted to hide their dirty work, they would simply throw the bodies in one of the cells. Once the volcano erupts, it cleans the cells out." He explained.

Zuko felt like he was about to burst. To think, his girlfriend might be at the bottom of an active volcano, surrounded by dead bodies.

"Where is this place?!" Zuko shouted. If there was even a possibility that she was there, even if it wasn't likely, he wanted a team on their way this instant.

"If I told you it wouldn't be much of a secret chamber, would it?" Ozai challenged.

Zuko groaned in frustration, and tugged at his hair. He wanted to hurt his father as much as he was hurt. Zuko had never wanted to hurt somebody more in his entire life.

"You have to tell me!" Zuko screamed, feeling more desperate than he has ever felt.

Even Ozai, almost felt slightly pitiful, but he wasn't. He almost did. He snorted,"You mean you haven't figured it out? Actually, I think I heard you were right at the top of it, at a time." He said with a mischievous smile.

"What do you mean?" Zuko asked.

"I mean, think back." He said, jolting to his side, which told Zuko that Ozai was done talking. Zuko groaned again, and flew the door open, then slammed it shut.

Sokka yawned,"Great, we were pretty much awake all night. I hate when that happens." He sighed.

Ty Lee jumped,"But staying up late is so much fun!" She shouted.

Suki chuckled. The palace was already in plain view. They had been stopped by people on the streets, asking for signatures, or even hugs.

When they finally reached the palace, guards came to them, making sure they were guests of the fire lord.

"Me and Zuko go way back." Sokka said confidently with a smirk.

Suki rolled her eyes,"We need to talk to him. It's about Mai." She said. The guards let them pass, but followed them, to make sure they weren't assassins of some kind. They remembered Zuko telling them that let anybody through if they have any information at all about Mai, and they strangely obliged.

Sokka ran up to the fire lords chambers, and pounded on the doors." Knock knock!" He yelled, over excited that he would be able to see his old friend.

Zuko slammed the door open, his head down. When his eyes looked up to meet them, Sokka's grin disappeared.

Zuko had huge, grey bags under his eyes. And, he looked as if he hadn't shaven in weeks. His mouth was set in a deep frown. His clothes were obviously over-worn, and his glare made them all get shivers that ran up their spines.

"Nice to see you." He spat out dryly and turned, inviting them in. They slowly followed into his room, which was covered in paper work. His drawers were knocked onto the floor, and a chair was turned over onto its side. Sokka had no idea he was in this bad of a shape. He had never seen Zuko so depressed about anything. He rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed,"So, Zuko. Have you heard anything about.." He trailed off. Sokka didn't want to stir anything.

Zuko sighed and scratched his head,"Well, not really. I sent a team to search for a secret chamber under a volcano, but that's all." He said.

Sokka nodded and rubbed his chin,"Hmm.. I don't think who ever it was would go that far... Maybe.." They were both lost in thought, but Ty Lee spoke up.

"We were all guessing that Azula was behind this." She chirped, sounding somewhat cheerful. Zuko glared at her, with out even noticing it.

"So do I. I visited Ozai, and he didn't even know who my girlfriend was." Zuko explained dully.

Suki stared at the ceiling,"If she _is_ the one behind this, Ty Lee told us there are districts that align the Fire Nation. And that one is actually sharing the island with Azula's institution. I also heard that the institution has visitor hours. Which means, she might have hired somebody to kidnap Ma- .... her." Suki said, realizing Zuko hadn't said her name at all.

Zuko bit his upper lip,"That might be true.. Though, I've asked to multiple the guards that surround her cell.. But I have said nothing about visitor hours.." He trailed off.

"So I guess we are going to visit Azula, next?" Sokka suggested.

"Maybe we should split up. Somebody, or some people, should visit her. Somebody should stay here, just incase she is found or returns, and somebody should search the district." Suki said.

Everybody nodded.

"Who will stay here?" Sokka asked.

Ty Lee spoke up,"I guess I will."

"Okay, so that means me, Zuko, and Sokka are all going to the island?" Suki asked.

They both nodded, and Suki said goodbye to Ty Lee as Zuko prepared a ship for their new mission.

__________________________________________________________

Sorry, it feels like this chapt. is a bit short. But, hoped you enjoyed it

anyway ! ;] oh! And please review XD


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Suki, Sokka, Ty Lee, and Zuko had been at sea for 4 hours, in which Suki had been spending kneeling over the side of the boat. Ty Lee had decided to come along, after Zuko had made it clear that he wanted all the help he could get.

Eventually, Sokka came up behind Suki, concerned.

"You sure you okay? I thought you didn't get sea sick." He said.

She turned to him, and straightened herself up as much as she could,"Me too.. I usually don't.. I don't know what it is." As soon as she spoke, she immediately hurled around and kneeled over the ship again, horribly sick. Sokka sighed, and went back to the captain's quarters, where Zuko was planning what he would say to get Azula to talk.

"Have any ideas?" Sokka asked.

Zuko shook his head,"No... We are almost there, but I just hope it isn't visitors day." He slumped into his chair.

"Yeah.. It would be hard to find her... Hey, how do people even visit when it's on a secluded island 4 hours from the Fire Nation?" Sokka asked.

"The institution sends boats back and forth picking families up.. " Zuko explained.

Sokka sat down across from him,"That would be a sucky job." He said.

Zuko nodded in agreement. A moment later Ty Lee came running in, a huge grin on her face, but when she saw Sokka it disappeared. "Oh. Hi." She sputtered, nervous.

Sokka propped an eyebrow,"Hi..?" He said.

There was a long silence, but Zuko broke it when he saw the island coming closer. "There it is." He said speaking to the crew as well as Sokka and Ty Lee.

They eventually reached the shore, and Suki was more than happy.

"I don't think it's visitors day. The boats are all in the dock." Sokka said, pointing towards the huge boats in a line.

Zuko nodded, then looked towards the institution. Sokka's eyes widened when he noticed it's size.

"Whoah.. It's huge! I thought it would be a puny little building run by old people or something..." Sokka trailed off.

"Those kind of institutions are for mentally disabled, these are for the downright insane." Zuko said, starting up the hill to the building Azula was kept in.

Sokka slowly trailed after him, helping Suki keep up. She was obviously sick. "Hey, Zuko." Sokka called.

He turned around.

"I think me and Suki are just going to stay here. She's really sick." Sokka said, pulling them both to a stop. Zuko nodded, then looked to Ty Lee.

Ty Lee stared at him,"Uh.. I'll just keep them company." She said avoiding the awkwardness of her and Zuko working alone.

Zuko sighed and nodded, and started back towards the institution. Thoughts of his girlfriend roamed his mind. So much that it almost hurt. He ran his fingers through his hair, and drew a deep breath. He managed to clear his mind the rest of the way there, but as soon as he opened the door thoughts of her soared free once again. He groaned.

"Can I help you?" One of the nurses asked him. Her eyes widened when she realized who he was.

Zuko almost forgot where he was for a moment. He nodded," Can I visit Azula's room?" He asked in a frightening voice.

The nurse bit her lip,"Sure. Follow me." She said nervously and hurried towards Azula's room. The guards gave him odd looks as Zuko passed them. Eventually they reached her door. The nurse smiled politely and stood by the door, invited him in. He entered and closed the door behind him, so him and Azula were alone. She was much, much different than the last time he had seen her. He gulped, realizing she was completely back to health. She was sitting on her bed, glaring at him. Then, her glare turned into a sly smile,"Hello Zuzu." She said in a small voice.

He glared back at her,"Where is she?" He almost yelled.

Azula's smile disappeared,"Not even a hello? How typical of you." She said dryly.

Zuko ignored her,"I know what you've been up to."

She rolled her eyes,"Then tell me, because I don't." She hid her smile.

Zuko didn't catch it. "Stop lying! I know you've somehow taken her. Tell me how you did it." He continued.

She sighed,"Zuko, why in the world would I want to take away your precious Mai?" Azula asked with her smile gleaming with confidence. She noticed Zuko cringe at her name.

"Well if you didn't, how did you know who I was talking about?" He challenged.

Her smile faltered a bit,"Because, she is the only one you care about so much that you would actually come to pay a visit."

There was a silence, but Azula broke it with a small giggle.

"Well, I might as well tell you. Since, it's utterly impossible for you to find her." Azula started, and Zuko listened intently.

"I didn't do anything. It was somebody I hired." She began, as Zuko remembered the words being said earlier.

"It's all part of my plan, you see. I can't tell you my plan, but I will tell you what happened to her." She continued, and Zuko waited for her to finish.

"I over heard a man talking to another about how he needed to find one more girl, around the age of 17 for his boss. I also heard that his boss owns a business where they sell young girls to men who will marry them. So, I remembered an old friend, and told him where he could find her. He was so thankful that he payed me, a lot, I might add. Which is good, since I need the money for my plan." Azula explained, smiling. Zuko couldn't believe what he had just heard. His heart felt like it stopped beating. He felt like he wasn't even alive anymore. Like his entire body just disappeared as he heard this. His mind raced with possibilities of what might happen to her. His eyes had shut, and he tried opening them, and realized he was on the floor. He had fallen to his knees at the news. Zuko's hands clenched into fists, and Azula smiled with pleasure.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!?!" He screamed at her. Even Azula was shocked to hear his tone. But, she didn't show it.

"I was just helping a person in need." She explained inocentally, still smiling.

His teeth clenched, and he pounded the floor with his fist.

"And, by the way... You don't look so good. When was the last time you shaved?" She asked, not caring how he was acting.

Zuko ignored her, and jolted back up. He sped back down the hallway, ignoring any strange looks he got. He ran past Ty Lee, who began chasing after him yelling "What happened?"

He stopped to catch his breath in front of Sokka and Suki, who were now exchanging concerned looks. Zuko started running back for the ship.

"Wait, Zuko!" Sokka yelled, following him. Suki and Ty Lee hurried after them.

They both reached the ship, and ran up the sides after him. Zuko hurled himself to his room, and slammed the door, not bothering to lock it. The noise the door made when it slammed should give them all a message that he wanted to be alone. But of course, it was Sokka's bright idea to try talking to him.

He knocked, and invited himself in, closing the door behind him. Zuko turned his back to him, and his fists were still clenched. He tried to fight off tears.

"Zuko, you alright?" Sokka asked, ignoring a different question he was begging to ask.

"I'm fine compared to her!" Zuko yelled. His voice was cracked and shaky, as if he had been crying.

Sokka took note of this,"..Who?" He asked quietly.

Zuko turned around angrily,"Mai!" He screamed, not even caring if it hurt to say her name. He was already in too much pain to feel any different.

Sokka stared at him, and eventually found the courage to ask. "Where is she?" He asked in a whisper.

Zuko was quiet, for a long time. He couldn't say it. He thought he would die if he even had to think it. Sokka waited patiently, and eventually Zuko spoke up, but he could barely even hear him.

''She's..." He started, and reached up to cover his ears so he wouldn't have to hear him say it," She was given to somebody. Somebody who is selling her to a man she's never met, so he can have her and do what ever he wants to her!" He yelled, and removed his hands from his ears.

Sokka blinked, and looked down. He felt bad for asking Zuko. "Sorry." He whispered.

So was Zuko.

There was another knock at the door, and Sokka opened it just a crack to see who it was. It was Suki, and she looked worried.

"Can you come here for a minute?" She whispered. Sokka nodded, and followed her out to the deck. She lead them by her hand, then release him when she got the edge of the ship. She stood there with his back to him, and her head down.  
"What is it?" Sokka asked.

Suki remained quiet, and closed her eyes. After a few minutes passed, and she was ready, she slowly turned back around, and face him. They stared at each other.

''I'm pregnant." She whispered, but Sokka heard it perfectly well.  
''WHAT?!" He screamed at the top of his lungs.

Suki jumped from his scream, she hadn't expected it.

"HOW DID- WHAT DID- BUT I THOUGHT- YOU WEREN'T- I WASN'T- WAIT BUT- WHY DID- IT DOESN'T MAKE - AHG!" He sputtered, confused on this whole thing.

Suki waited, she knew Sokka well enough to know exactly how he would take this. She thought right.

He flew down on the floor of the ship and rubbed his forehead. Then, his eyes sprung open,"I'm the dad right?" He yelled worried.

She frowned,"Of course you are!" She defended.

Sokka felt somewhat relieved,"Okay." He cleared his head. He guessed this was alright. He _was _of marrying age.. But, he didn't know if he was ready for a kid of his own.

Sokka swallowed,"How do you know?" He asked. He had never really had that much experience with babies. He had seen one in the process of birth, but he barely remembered it since he passed out.

"I'm late. And I've been throwing up. A lot. I wasn't sea sick, since I kept vomiting even after we left the ship..." She trailed off, and they were both lost in thought.

They were interrupted by Ty Lee. She saw them together, and realized Suki must have told him. Suki had told her first about her pregnancy. She stood there silent for a while, then spoke up,"Sokka, what happened to Mai?" She asked curiously.

He was quiet, then shook his head, shaking his thoughts away as well,"She's at a very bad place." Was all he said, and the group was quiet the rest of the night.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Toph sat in the back of her living room, watching her parents converse with other adults in disgust. She groaned, and thought to herself, _this is sooo boring... I miss Zuko.. She sighed and leaned back into her chair, then a moment later sprung up, and headed for the door. Her mother grabbed her from the arm,"And where do you think you're going?" Poppi asked strictly. Toph groaned,"Out." She said, swinging the door open._

_ Her mother sighed,"Alright, but don't stay out past 8 o'clock, alright?" She asked._

_Toph rolled her eyes,"Okay okay!" She said and hurried out of the house. She sped through her garden and down the hill to the city. The fresh air helped calm her. She stopped at what felt like a store. She turned to the merchant,"What do you sell?" _

_The man stared at her and realized she was blind,"Oh, bread, miss." He also realized who she was._

_She smiled and handed him a coin,"One loaf please." Bread sounded good to Toph at the moment, and she had stolen the coin from her father and wanted to spend it on the first thing that popped up as pay back for treating her like a baby her whole life. He had gotten around to the idea of letting her have more freedom, and Toph was pleased, but at the same time still angry enough to take his money. It's not like it mattered, they were rich. She thanked the merchant and walked further down the street, munching on pieces of bread. Toph stopped at a bench to rest her feet, when she overheard a group of girls talking. From the sound of their voices, it sounded as if they were in their late 40's. Toph listened in, since there was nothing else to do. Except eat bread._

_"I just can't believe it." One said._

_"I'm putting my money on that father of his. I never liked him." A different girl said. She sniffed._

_"I'm putting mine on that lunatic of a sister he has." The third said._

_The first girl spoke up again,"She's too insane to do anything that clever."_

_"Well, she used to be clever." The third woman defended._

_A fourth cleared her throat,"I think she just got lost." _

_The second girl shook her head, ignoring that comment,"It has to be one of the two... They obviously have something big in mind, they wouldn't just do that just to do it... Would they?" _

_They continued to converse, and Toph started to pay attention to other things. Like dropping small crumbs for the ant below her. But her head sprung up when she heard one of the girls mention the Fire Lord. She jolted from the bench,"What about the Fire Lord?" Toph asked._

_They stared at her, confused,"Haven't you heard? The Fire Lord has recently lost his girlfriend.. Or she was taken." The second girl said, shooting a look a the fourth girl who was talking earlier. Toph's eyes widened,"She was what?" _

"Gone missing.. And don't I know you from somewhere?" The first girl asked.

Toph ignored her and started running back to her house, leaving her bread on the bench. The third girl squealed with delight,"Ooh! Bread!" She said, picking up the loaf for a bite. The other three girls watched in disgust.

Toph hurried up the hill and bursted through the doors. The adults in her living room that had been invited for a party earlier stared at her, confused. Toph ignored them as well, and ran to her bedroom. Her mother went after her, and eventually caught up to Toph. She saw her throwing an outfit and a pillow into a bag, and heading for the door again. "What are you doing?" Poppi asked.

Toph groaned impatiently,"I'm leaving. Sorry, but I have to. It's important." She said, already planning the quickest route to the ocean in her head.

"But, why?" Poppi asked, a frown spreading across her face.

"I told you, it's important. I have to leave right away." Toph said, scooting past her and heading back towards the door. For some reason she didn't like talking to her parents about her friends at all. Her mother quickly explained to her father, who ran up to her.

"Toph, you can't leave. You just got back." He begged her.

She sighed,"I was here for a week or two. But a friend needs my help, and I have to go." Toph said, throwing her bag over her shoulder.

Her father sighed as well, and checked to make sure Toph's mother wasn't looking. He set a hand on her shoulder,"Alright. You can go. Just don't disappear for as long as you did last time."

Toph couldn't believe what she had just heard,"Really?" She shouted excitedly.

He put a hand over her mouth,"Sh!" He warned.

Toph nodded and hugged him,"Tell mom I said bye." She whispered, and hurried out the door and back down the hill.

Aang stared out at the horizon. So much had happened in the last few days, to him at least. Roku's words hadn't left his head since he had spoken them. He groaned, irritated he couldn't think of anything else but that conversation he had. It was literally the only thing on his mind. His thoughts were interrupted by Katara running into his igloo,"Aang, it's a letter from Sokka, with some good news and some bad news. Well, to him it's considered bad news and very bad news." She said, looking at the letter one more time.

She handed it to him,"Here, you have it. I already read it."

Aang nodded and took it from her, and began reading,

**Dear Aang**

**Okay.. A lot of things happened in the last week.. A lot of things I should have told you all way earlier... But, anyways, I'm telling you now.. So listen!! Or.. I mean, read!! ... Okay, back to what I was saying.. Well, I have some bad news, and some very bad news. The bad news is, Suki's pregnant. Yeah. We totally went there. And the day she told me, that night I was thinking about it a lot and I fainted. Zuko had to pour gross salty seaweed ocean water all over my face to wake me up. I can still taste it if I try really hard. And guess what? You guys are the only people I told about the Suki pregnant thing. Nobody else knows. NOT EVEN ZUKO! I am telling him later. Oh! And, about Zuko.. There is some really bad news about him.. Well, about Mai, but you know what I mean. Mai's been taken. By Mr. Pervy McPervPerv. Actually, no, Mr. Pervy McPervPerv's little helper, Perv Jr. **

**We found out Azula is behind the whole thing, like usual. She obviously has something against Mai, which is weird, since I thought they used to be friends or something. We don't know if Perv Jr. is the actual guy that took her, but we know Perv Jr. had a lot to do with it... Oh, I still didn't write exactly why she was taken.. Well,heres the story. These weirdo pervert freaks that can't get girls decide that they will just buy themselves a girl. But, wait. What girl would volunteer to be bought buy old freaks with no life? That's right. None! So, the king of all messed up perverted freaky weirdo's decided to start a little perverted freaky weirdo business. He kidnaps girls around the ages of 15-17 and puts them up for sale. To any messed up freak that might want one. So, that is what happened to Mai. It ticks me off. And Zuko is also mad as hell. I think he broke about all of the furniture we have on the entire ship. {By the way, I'm on a ship.) Oh, guess I was wrong. He just broke the table I was writing on. Now I have to write on my hand. It hurts. Okay it hurst to much to explain anything else. Bye.**

**Write back!!!!!**

**-Sokka :)**

**OH! and KATARA DO NOT TELL DAD ABOUT SUKI AND ME! NOT YET! I WILL TELL HIM MYSELF DON'T WORRY!**

Aang stared up at Katara when he finished reading. "Wow." Was all he could say. That was a lot of news. Even though it had a bit of _Sokka's touch _to it, that last bit of news was still heart breaking. Katara stared at him, worried. "You think we should help?" Aand spoke in a whisper.

She nodded.

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Thanks for reading !-^_^-

Please review x]

The next chapter will be filled with gAang goodness!!!! :D


	12. Chapter 12

I'll reply to your reviews starting next chapter ;]

Well, I actually did start replying.. But

erased the whole thing as soon as I finished T-T

... it sucked..

But basically I just said thank you to every1, but

in different ways.. xD

**_________________________________**

**Chapter 12**

Toph skyrocketed through the Earth Kingdom. She had been going so fast, she reached the ocean in less than an hour. She stopped when she reached the shore to take a break, she had been earth bending all day. She rubbed her forehead, and took a deep breath, preparing to start again. She blasted her way into the water, bending wet sand to help her move faster. She was petrified of what she was doing. Toph couldn't swim, and she was heading into the middle of the ocean, alone. She had never wanted to fly on Appa so badly in her life. She quickened her pace, speeding through the water so fast the Earth Kingdom was disappearing behind her. Once she noticed that it was completely gone, she went even faster. _Hurry, hurry!! _Toph's mind screamed. Then, her heart thudded when she started to see the shore line of the Fire Nation. She realized she must have been going as fast as she ever had, she had just made a two day trip in less than an hour. But, she knew it wasn't over yet. She hurried, pulling earth out of the deep water as much as she could to keep her moving. The Fire Nation got closer and closer, until she could feel the details of the trees and people at the beach. Then, she started to hear waves. She had forgotten how the waves broke at the shore line. She was very thankful they didn't hear like very big waves. Toph earth bended as quickly as she could, as quickly as she has ever bended before. Then, when the waves got louder, she earth bended up, so she could glide over them, easily. As soon as she felt soft sand instead of wet sand, she landed, catching her breath. The people at the beach watched her in confusion, and one of the children yelled COOL! She face planted into the soft sand,"Land!!!'' She yelled happily. Toph pet the sand with pleasure,"Sweet, sweet land.."

The people at the beach exchanged glances, then went back to what they were doing. Eventually, Toph stood up, and started towards the royal palace.

__

Sokka glanced back at the beach one more time.

Suki groaned,"Sokka, just come on." She complained.

"I want to see if I look close enough, if I can still see the institu-"

"You can't! Just come on!" She yelled and grabbed him by the arm. Ty Lee giggled, and Zuko just glared.

"Fine, fine!" Sokka said, turning himself around. The walked back up the trail that lead towards the palace. When Ty Lee saw the garden she used to play in, she jumped.

"I remember this place!" She squealed,"Mai and I used to-" She cut herself off, and glanced at Zuko to make sure she didn't hurt his feelings. He just kept walking.

"Never mind." Ty Lee said quickly.

Sokka ran and caught up to Zuko, then turned around towards the girls,"You guys go... Do each other's makeup or something, Zuko and I need some guy time."

He said smirking. Zuko rolled his eyes, but didn't object.

"Fine. Have your stupid guy time. C'mon Ty Lee." Suki said and took her by the arm to the guest rooms Zuko prepared for them earlier.

"What is it?" Zuko asked as soon as the girls were gone.

"Welllllll.........." Sokka started, playing with his fingers.

"Spit it out." Zuko said dryly.

Sokka sighed,"I knocked up Suki." He said with a groan.

Zuko jolted upwards,"What?!"

"I know! That's what I said!" Sokka yelled, waving his hands for emphasis.

Zuko shook his head,"That was a really stupid move Sokka."

Sokka nodded,"I know." He sighed. Sokka didn't realize it but he was walking backwards, again.

"How did you and Mai not get pregnant?" Sokka asked, absent mindedly.

Zuko stared at him. He didn't want to talk about her right now. It hurt too much. He tried not to think about it, so it wouldn't hurt when he had a conversation with somebody. "Well.. erm... I don't.. we haven't... really.. done that before.." He trailed.

Sokka stared back,"What do you mean you haven't done that before? Toph said that she-"

"Well, we've done.. some stuff... I guess.. but we've never gone... far.." Zuko interrupted,"She probably just got the wrong idea or something."

Sokka nodded understandingly,"Oh.. You should've said something."

"I tried but nobody listened."

There was silence between them. It wasn't uncomfortable, but it wasn't enjoyable. Sokka yawned,"I'm just worried what people will think of us. They've always looked up to us, and called us honorable and ... good things. And this happens." He shook his head and looked to the sky.

Zuko realized he was talking about Suki and him again. He didn't really know what to say, since he's never been in the situation himself before. He's never even thought about it. Zuko just nodded.

They continued until they reached the nation, and Zuko was immediately greeted by two servants. "You have a visitor." One said.

Zuko nodded and waved them off, and continued to the hall. Sokka followed curiously. They eventually got there, and saw that the visitor was an old friend.

"TOPH!!!!" Sokka yelled and ran to hug her. She groaned,"Whoah there." She said, pushing him off,"It's good to see you, but how about you don't kill me." Toph smiled.

"Hey Zuko." She said.

Zuko nodded,"Hey.. May I ask.. What you're doing here? Or.. How you even got here?" He tried not to sound rude.

"I earth bended here. Across the ocean. It sucked. But I got here, amazingly. And I came because I'm worried about you." She said, sounding apologetic.

"Aww, thanks Toph!" Sokka cooed.

Toph glared at him,"I'm talking to Zuko." She growled.

"Oh.. So you know what happened..?" Sokka asked, feeling disappointed.

She nodded,"Word got out. I came as soon as I heard what happened, or about what happened.." Toph explained.

Zuko stared out the window,"Oh..." He trailed off, deep in thought. He thought of her again. He thought of them together, and he cringed with pain. But, he didn't want to stop thinking about her. And now, hearing what Sokka had just told him, he wanted to be with her, in that way. More than ever. He wanted to feel just her skin against his. Zuko wanted her back. He wanted her body back.

Sokka noticed he was completely dazed off,''Uhh.. Zuko??" He asked, shaking his shoulder a bit.

Zuko's eyes opened,"Wha-.. What..?"

"You kind of looked dead for a minute there." Sokka said, confused.

"Oh.. sorry.." Zuko said, embarrassed.

"You alright?" Sokka asked.

"Yeah.. I'm fine." Zuko shook him off and trudged back to his office.

Toph and Sokka were left alone.

"Man.. I didn't think it'd be _this _bad..." Toph said, crossing her arms.

Sokka nodded,"Other times he will act fine... and then this.." He trailed off.

They were both quiet.

"So, Suki's pregnant huh?" Toph said smirking.

Sokka flew back,"How did you know?!" He blabbed, shocked.

"Because I heard her talking about it. And I felt extra heart beats when I passed their rooms.." Toph teased.

"Oh. Well ... yes she is..." Sokka went on. For some reason it felt the most weird to admit this to Toph. Maybe it was because she would always find a way to use this against him.

"I'm guessing it was an accident." Toph continued.

He groaned,"Yes Toph, it was an accident." He admitted annoyed.

She laughed,"I knew it would happen eventually. Sooner or sooner." She joked, and headed for the guest room she usually used.

Sokka rolled his eyes,"Well that's nice of you." He called sarcastically.

Toph giggled and tucked herself into bed, tired from her not -so - long journey.

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Pretty short. I know. ^^

review ;]


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

"There.." Aang mumbled to himself, "Katara, we're here."

Katara yawned,"What? Oh.." She stretched and crawled up to Aang, and rested her head in the crook of his neck.

He chuckled,"Tired?" She nodded and groaned.

Aang smiled,"Well Zuko has plenty of guest rooms. You and I can each have our own." He stated cheerfully.

Katara looked up at this,"Oh. Our own?"

Aang stared at her,"... Yeah, if you want."

They were quiet.

"No, it's okay. Never mind." Katara babbled.

Aang sighed, as the words of Roku soared in his mind again.

They were both lost in thought, and barely noticed it when Appa landed. Aang shook his head and jumped to the ground, and Katara followed.

"Greetings, avatar." Two servants greeted by the doors. They lead them to the guest rooms, and bowed and returned to their stations. Both Katara and Aang left to go to Zuko's room. Aang knocked, but there was no answer.

"Maybe he's in his office." Aang suggested, and walked over to the next room, which was Zuko's office. He tried knocking on that door, but once again there was no answer.

Aang scratched his head, and jumped when he heard a voice behind him, a voice that wasn't Katara's.

"He isn't going to answer. We've tried all morning." Toph stated from the corner.

Katara and Aang smiled widely,"Toph!" They yelled and ran to embrace her. Then, Aang backed away,"Wait, why won't he answer?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe because he's sad his girlfriend was captured by old perverts?" Toph explained sarcastically.

Aang backed down.

"So he is in his room , then?" Katara wondered.

Toph nodded,"That's where I feel him."

Katara sighed,"I feel so bad about this..." She trailed off.

Aang nodded in agreement, "So do I."

They were quiet for a moment.

"He must feel so hurt right now.." Katara spoke softly.

Toph looked up at the ceiling,"I'm gonna go get some lunch or something."

Katara and Aang's stomach growled.

Toph stared at them,"Maybe you two should come too."

Katara smiled,"Alright." She reached for Aang's hand, but he took a step back.

"I'll catch up with you guys. Go ahead." He said.

They gave him confused looks and shrugged, then left to the dining room.

Aang sighed, and gently tapped on the door to Zuko's bedroom.

"Zuko, I know you're in there." Aang said.

No answer.

"Can I come in?" Aang asked quietly.

Once again, no answer.

He took a breath and opened the door just a crack, and Zuko was laying face down in his bed. His face was buried in his pillow.

Aang sighed again,"Zuko, you have to know this will all work out. It always does."

This finally got him to speak, but Aang could barely understand, his voice was all muffled.

"But right about right now? Right now, when we aren't trying to help her. So many things can happen to her. So many bad things." He threw his face into his pillow again.

Aang rubbed the back of his head. This was a bigger challenge than he had thought.

"Mai is going to be alright Zuko, she will be, I know it."

Just then, a thought sprung into Zuko's mind. "You can find her!" He yelled, almost enthusiastically. He sounded very different than before.

Aang blinked,"Yeahh.." He trailed.

"With your spirit powers, Sokka told me you used it to help you find Appa." He stared at Aang.

He blinked again, remembering when Appa was missing. He felt horrible, like every second, Appa was being harmed. Now, he felt much, much more sympathy for Zuko.

"Well you see, I was just getting to know Mai, and those kinds of powers can only be used when I'm emotionally attached to someone." He explained in a whisper.

Then, Zuko's somewhat happy expression dropped, and he was scowling again. He rested his head on his pillow.

Aang stared out the window, determined,"We will find her Zuko, we will."

___

The darkness of the room was overwhelming. She could hardly breath. Her fingers automatically reached in front of her, trying to feel her surroundings. There was a wall in front of her, and to the side. It felt like a corner. She swallowed, and trailed her fingers along the wall as she walked. She felt her way around another corner, and saw lights. She even heard some music. She squinted, and saw there were people. He hid behind a wall, but continued to watch them. She noticed they were all girls, except there was one man in the back of the room, watching them. Occasionally, a girl would offer him food, but he would object. _Food.. _Her stomach growled, and she realized she was starving.

She swallowed, realizing there was a huge table filled with foods she loved. Her stomach grumbled again. She groaned. Her feet lead her to the room with out her even noticing it. She eventually realized when the light started to hurt her eyes. She must have been in the darkness for a long time. She began eating, and turned around, noticing that everybody there was staring at her. The girl's eyes widened, and they slowly shook their heads. She swallowed, and backed up. One of the girls bit her lip, and the others exchanged worried glances.

"There you are." Said a deep voice from the corner. She jumped.

"I was beginning to wonder when you would come out to eat.." The voice got closer, until she noticed it was the man from earlier. Her eye's searched his face, trying to see if she recognized him from somewhere, but she didn't. He was a new face to her.

Then, she began to hear a different voice. The voice was so familiar it hurt to hear it. _Don't say anything. _The voice warned. Her eyes looked to the side, to see who was talking to her, but nobody was there.

"Now that I see you in the light.." The man began to speak again,"You are actually quite a stunning young woman." He said, and his fingers ran along her hips. A shudder ran up her spine,_ bastard! _The voice in her head yelled. She backed away from him, almost tripping. She was confused, who was talking to her?  
"Don't be like that." The man said, walking back up to her.

_Get out of here. _The voice in her head instructed. But she didn't know where to go.

_Just run down the hallway to the left of you, there is a closet at the end where you can hide for now. _The voice explained, calmly.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then started running. "Hey, come back here!" The man yelled, trying to catch up to her but tripped over his robes.

She did exactly what the voice had instructed, and ran down the hallway, until she came to a closet. She opened the door, thankful it was actually there, and slammed it behind her. She locked it, and caught her breath. Her eyes slowly closed, and her back slid down the wall until she was on the floor. She hugged herself to her knees.

"Who are you?" A voice asked

She gasped, not knowing anybody else was in here. She stared, and a small flame flickered from a woman's fingers. She was a fire bender.

"Who are you?" She asked, finally finding words.

The girl sighed,"I have been in here all day. I am going to leave at night.. I know there is a way to escape this place.." She trailed, then spoke again,"Who are you?" She repeated.

She swallowed,"Mai." Mai said, hiding her face in her knees again. She wanted to wake up from this nightmare.

"I'm Aiko.. You don't know where you are, do you?" Aiko asked.

Mai shook her head,"No. I don't. I just want to get out of here." She said fighting back tears. She'd never felt so desperate before. And she hardly ever cried.

Aiko waited for her to explain further more.

"I don't even know how I got here. All I remember is leaving my house to go meet Zuko and-" _Zuko.._His name rang in her head. She hugged herself tighter. That voice, that voice belonged to him. How could she not remember her love's voice? How was he talking to her.. Where was he? Where was she?

She shook her head,"And that's all." She finished weakly.

Aiko shook her head as well,"You better stay here if you want any chance of escaping. I can tell you're innocent just by looking at you. That could change in an instant if you decided to leave this closet. You have no idea what goes down here." She explained in a monotone.

Mai hugged herself, all she could really think about was Zuko. She wanted him here with her. She wanted him to hold her again.

"Well, you look starved. Here," Aiko handed her some bread,"I stole this from the kitchen when I first came here." Mai took it quickly and ate the whole thing. She felt a little better from eating.

"If you're staying here with me, then you're escaping." Aiko stated.

Mai didn't object. She wanted to escape this place, where ever it was.

Aiko waited for her objection, but it never came.

"Then, it's settled. We will attempt our escape at nightfall."


	14. Chapter 14

** Chapter 14**

All Zuko could think about, was her. He struggled to calm his worried mind, but it just seemed to make things worse. He was so worried, so sick. It nauseated him just thinking about what those monsters might be doing to her. His hands curled into tight fists. But, he hurried to shake away his anger. Zuko wished and hoped with all he had that she was alright. That, maybe, just maybe, nothing had even happened at all. At least, not yet. He knew she was strong and brave, sometimes more so than him. But he still worried for her safety. He wanted her to be okay. Unharmed.

His thoughts eventually faded as his worried mind drifted to sleep, and he immediately began to dream.

She was there. Like usual, she invaded his dreams, keeping him concerned and alert even when he was resting. She held his hands, and he pressed them to his lips, kissing them gently. Then, he began to kiss them deeper, and more passionate. She moaned silently, like she would always do when he kissed her. His lips traveled up her arms, past her shoulder blades, and stopped to kiss her neck. His tongue danced at the taste of her skin. She tasted like spices.. and yet, of sugar.. Zuko felt a shiver run down her spine, and he groaned, moving his lips up and around her jaw, pausing just before her lips. He breathed in her scent, as his hands roamed free around her clothing, enjoying the feel of her skin against his. He began to kiss her, gently parting her lips with his, and his hands didn't cease to a stop. He continued kissing her, and slowly began to lift her shirt over her head. She didn't object, and Zuko's lips felt no hesitation in her embrace. She felt a smile shape it's way onto his mouth. She smiled back, tracing her fingers around his back, feeling his muscles slowly begin to feel less and less tense. Moments later, and Zuko hadn't noticed his shirt was off, too. He also didn't notice she was practically all the way exposed, leaving out the exception of the cloth that wrapped around her waist. He knew this could easily be removed, but, he didn't know if she wanted that just yet. He kissed down her neck, and continued down her stomach, until he met the cloth. He stared at her body, then his eyes met hers, as if he were asking permission. She nodded, as if she were granting it.

Then, Zuko's eyes sprung open. He realized there was drops of sweat dripping from his chin, and he was blushing fiercely. It took him a long moment to catch his breath, and he slowly pulled himself out of bed. He had never had a dream quite like that before. He rubbed his forehead, as he trailed to his dresser. He rested a hand on the edge, keeping his balance. Zuko swallowed down a big lump in his throat. His mind scolded him for dreaming that way, it wasn't right of him to think of those things. It also scolded him for ever having that conversation with Sokka. Ever since then, being with her ,in that way, was all he could really think about besides her safety. It was either one or the other. He wished she was there, with him. So he could show her how he felt.

But Zuko didn't know how long that would be. His heart was told him never to give up on her, even when things were bad. And his head told him to go find her, even if it meant his life.

__

Mai stared into out of the crack in the door, and watched as the moon lifted it's way into clear view.

"It's time." Aiko whispered. Mai nodded.

"You know what to do, keep quiet, and if anybody spots you, knock them down before they knock you down." Aiko continued.

Mai was motivated, but she needed something else to get her going. She needed his voice to speak to her again. She bit her lip, and swallowed, fighting off the first tear that would lead to many more.

_It's going to be alright. _Mai's eyes widened when she heard him. He was talking to her, it had to be him. Somehow, he was speaking to her.

_You can do this, it's easy. I'll be here with you. _He hummed. Mai felt her knees go weak.

"You alright?" Aiko asked, puzzled by Mai's expression.

She caught herself,"Y-yeah. I'm fine. Let's go." Mai said, taking one last glance at the moon.

Aiko slid herself through the doorway, and Mai followed. It was hard for Mai to see in the dim lighting, but Aiko lit a small flame to guide them. Mai followed, quickly and silently.

They continued down hallways, and Mai started to recognize the details of the art on the walls and ceilings.

"Wait, this is where I was when I first got here." Mai whispered.

Aiko nodded,"I want to help the others escape. I'll leave a small door open in the back of the hallway of their rooms for them, they will find it in the morning.

Mai nodded. She couldn't object, this was the only way for her to escape. The hallway started to get more and more dim, to where Mai couldn't even see any more. Aiko lit a fire again, and stopped in front of the door to the next hallway,"You stay here. I'll be right out. Just keep quiet, alright?" She asked, already turning around knowing Mai's answer.

She nodded again, even though she couldn't see. Mai leaned against the wall, hoping if anybody decided to walk by she would just blend in. Mai remained completely silent, she couldn't even hear her own breathing. Then, a loud crash made her jump. She immediately took action, and looked down the hallway, squinting, trying to see what happened. But, she couldn't see anything. She took a step into the darkness, and she heard struggling noises.

"Aiko?" She called out in a whisper.

"Mai! He- Help!" Aiko yelled. Mai managed to make it out, though her voice was muffled. Mai felt along the walls and ran to the end, where she began to see light. She followed it, and turned to see Aiko surrounded by two men. She was completely unharmed. Not a scratch. And, there was no sign of a struggle. Mai stood there, dumbfounded.

_Oh no. _The voice in her head groaned. She was confused. The two men gave her a smirk, and nodded towards Aiko, who looked down.

"What's going on?" Mai managed to choke out.

"I'm sorry.." Aiko lipped silently, but Mai caught it.

Mai gasped to herself,"What's going on?!" This time she screamed. The men didn't flinch, they were obviously used to it.

Though, Aiko cringed.

The men closed the distance between Mai and them, and grabbed her by the arms. "No!" She screamed as loudly as she could.

She kicked and yelled at them, but they didn't show any sign of distress. They didn't even flinch. Mai didn't back down, she continued throwing her arms aimlessly at them. Zuko's voice rang in her head, _keep hitting. _She listened to him. He was the only one she trusted. She kept punching and kicking, until one of the men grunted in pain, and fell to his knees. She kept kicking at the other, and he flew against the wall. Mai took this chance to run, as fast as she could back down the hallway. She didn't even need light, she just kept running. She ran until she came to a stairway, with two guards on the side. She knew if she was fast, she could outrun them, or maybe they wouldn't even see her. She didn't take long to measure her options and kept running. She ran quietly across the first flight of stairs, but the two guards heard.

_Damn. Keep running. Don't stop. _His voice warned. Mai ran, and heard the men tumble after her. They were no match for her speed. This outfit they had given to her was light and airy, which helped her go even faster. Her eyes began to pick up senses of light, which means the stairs lead outside. She smiled in relief, and her feet moved faster. The door to the outside was so close, until she was just inches away. She hurled herself outside, and slammed it shut. She put a metal bar between the lock and the handle, so nobody could open it. She sighed, and turned around. But when she did, she realized her problems just got a whole lot worse.

__________________________________

Thank u for ur reviews ^^

I will reply l8r, I'm sleepy.. and my laptop is

going to die.. x]

This chapt. was hard to write T.T

I just love Mai to death, and then I have to

ruin her life in my fanfic ... so sorry dear xD


	15. Chapter 15

Thanks for the reviews ;]

I will try to reply later ^^

Oh! And I promised some gAang goodness, so here it is X3

__________________________________________________________________

**Chapter 15 **

"Aang! Aang Aang Aang!!!"Sokka yelled overly excited. He jumped in place.

"I didn't know you were hear!!! I found out this morning!!! Oh my gosh!!!" He ran to hug him,"Aang!!"

"I missed you too..?" Aang managed to squeeze out from Sokka's tight embrace.

"Suki wouldn't let me leave her until now.. You know.. Morning sickness n' all..." He trailed, rubbing the back of his head. Aang chuckled.

"That must of been fun." Then, all of a sudden, Roku's voice violently burdened his mind, y_ou must rebuild what was destroyed, and repopulate the air nomads._

Aang cringed. Sokka stared at him, puzzled,"What's the matter?" He asked.

He shook away the words,"N-nothing. Really I'm fine." Aang reassured , starting to walk back towards the kitchen. Sokka just shrugged and followed.

Toph was already in her average, at-home seated position in the dining room, cross legged and was sipping a cup of tea. Aang passed her into the kitchen, and asked the servants kindly if they could prepare breakfast. They agreed, and started right away. Sokka took a seat next to Toph, and groaned.

"What?" Toph asked.

"It's just that this is the first time I've sat down today. I've been helping Suki all morning..." He stretched.

"You must have hated that." Toph judged from the sound of his voice.

"Huh? No, no, I don't hate it. I mean, I don't_ love_ it or anything.. But I just mean... We're all going to go through it sometime." Sokka explained.

Toph laughed,"Heck no."

Sokka rolled his eyes,"Okay, maybe not you... But, you know what I mean." He shook his head, indicating he was changing the subject.

"So, Aang. How's life back at the South Pole?" He asked, not all that interested.

"Oh, it's alright.. The kids told me they missed you.. And Pakku fixed your watch tower.." Aang said.

"He did? That's so great! I thought I was going to be watch tower-less for the rest of my life!" Sokka complained.

"Hey, where's Ty Lee?" He asked, changing the subject completely.

" 'Dunno.. Maybe she's training or something.. Or hanging out with Suki.."

Toph sniffed.

They were then greeted by Katara.

"Morning.. Or I guess, it's afternoon now.." Katara stated with a laugh.

"Yeah, you overslept for a long time.." Sokka said.

She nodded, and rubbed her eyes,"Well I'm so used to Aang waking me up..." She said, shooting a playful look at Aang who blushed.

"Why would Aang wake you up?" Toph asked.

"He's an early riser, I guess." Katara said, taking a seat as the servants began to bring out trays of food.

"Smells good." Toph said, uncrossing her legs and rubbing her hands together.

Sokka imitated,"It does." Drool was already dripping from both of their mouths. Katara and Aang just chuckled.

They began eating, but then, they all dropped their forks when they saw how Zuko looked _today.. _They stared at him, and their jaws dropped at his appearance.

He was ten times worse than when Sokka had first seen him.. His hair was sticking out in all different directions, and his clothes were tattered. It was clear he hadn't shaven in days, or maybe even weeks. The bags under his eyes seemed to reach out towards his chin..

Katara began to feel rude just staring at him,"Erm.. Morning, Zuko."

"Yeah morning." The rest of the group greeted nervously. Sokka faked a chuckled.

Zuko trudged next to Sokka and slammed into his seat. The others jumped by the loud noise it made. He slumped into his chair slowly, and began poking at a pancake. Katara tried not to stare, so she began to talk to Toph about the most random of subjects. Her hair, the weather, the chairs, the food, anything. Toph just played along. Aang tried to eat, but he would sometimes peek up at him. Sokka continued staring at him.

"I'm hungry." Zuko mumbled to him.

Sokka propped an eyebrow,"Then, eat."

"I can't." He grumbled.

Sokka groaned to himself,"Want me to help you?"

Zuko looked to the side, pouting,"Yes."

Sokka rolled his eyes, and shoved a fork-full in Zuko's mouth, almost making him choke. Zuko coughed, and shot an angry look at Sokka.

"Can you try not to kill me?" He shouted, showing more emotion than he had all week.

"Well sorry." Sokka complained.

Toph chuckled, she had secretly been ease dropping,"You better get used to it, you're going to have to feed the baby."

He groaned.

Zuko cleared his throat,"Still hungry." He mumbled.

Sokka gave him another fork- full with out looking.

Toph laughed again.

__

Mai stared at those devilish eyes of hers, staring her down. She began to feel a bit frightened, but she didn't at all lose her ground.

"Good to see you, Mai." Azula greeted slyly.

"What do you want?" Mai immediately challenged.

Azula groaned,"You're not even going to say hello? Well, I should have expected it, from a traitor like you."

Mai didn't speak.

Azula grew tired of waiting,"Well, since you're just so eager, I'm here to.. Well, take you away from this place." She said, looking at her nails.

This confused Mai.

Azula continued, not allowing her to speak up,"I'm here to put you where you belong." She said, with a frightening smile.

Mai swallowed, and took a fighting stance.

_Don't fight her! _He screamed at her. _She'll hurt you! _He screamed again, but what _could_ she do? Just run away? Surely, Azula would catch up. Mai had to try, maybe, just maybe, she could pull out, or injure her enough to run away safely. It was hard, but she managed to ignore Zuko's voice.

"Well aren't you a trooper? You really don't want to fight me, Mai. If you just gave in, I just might spare you. But, if you choose to fight, then I will not hold back." Azula warned.

Mai didn't budge, and kept quiet. She honestly didn't know what she was going to do.

Azula sighed,"I won't kill you, Mai. How could I, when we are such could friends?" She teased.

Mai didn't speak, again.

"I'll just knock you out." Azula said, with a laugh. She lunged for her, but Mai dodged to the side. Azula ran up to her, and began shoot blasts of fire at her. Mai managed to dodge them, and hoped it would tire Azula out. But, of course, she had no such luck. Azula began to grow bored with this same pattern over and over, and did something Mai had never expected. She picked up a stone, and hurled it as hard as she could, directly at Mai's head.

_NO! _Zuko screamed, but it was too late. Mai was already on the floor, completely blacked out.


	16. Chapter 16

Reviews For Chapt. 15 ;]

Kimjuni2 - 

I LUV your story. Ok by chapter 14 Zuko's thoughts were awesome romantic and Mai heard his voice so sweet. Ok back to chapter 15, I like that chapter, and mai she just had listen to Zuko's voice and don't listen to Azula, Azula is a **. I hope that Zuko rescue Mai and fights to Azula, maybe an idea. Anyway please update soon again, can't wait till your next update ! I'll be R&R.  
Adn you did again a really good job !

Well thanks xD .. and yes, I agree about Azula x] .. And thanks again! :D

Dreamer E.V. -

neat story, pouty zuko made me lol. The angle of this story is quite believable, trafikking is an underworld that most people don't think about because they believe that if they don't think about it and are careful they won't have to deal with it. i'm interested to see how the Gaang will abolish the trade.

I'm glad it made you lol ^^ agreed x]

gloomy maiko lover -

I love this story but it's so painful to read what happens to Mai and Zuko so great chapter you did a wonderful job as always and always will do so awsome job. and I'll be R&R and can't wait to know what happens next and can't wait till you update hope you update soon and Azula is so evil but that's what makes you like her more even if she's like that so I guess bye for now and again great job. :) :( :) :( XD

I know, it's hard to write painful stories too T.T Yes, Azula is very evil xD Thank you ^^

oOoOooOooOoOOoOoOoOoOooOoOooOooOoOOoOoOoOOoOoOoOOoOoooOoooooOOooOOOoooOOooooOOooooOooooOOOoooOOOOOooooOOoOOoOoOooOoOooOoOoOOoOoOOoO

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Chapter 16 

Zuko stared at the sun, just beginning to rise. He drew in a deep breath, trying to clear his head for at least a moment. He groaned silently when he heard a knock at his door. "Sir?" A servant asked, allowing himself in.

Zuko turned to face him, and the servant jumped at the sight of him. He shook his head,"Sir, we have a report from the troops you sent out to find Miss Mai, sir." He sputtered nervously.

His eyes widened,"What is it?" He asked, suddenly enthralled.

The servant cleared his throat,"They have recently found a perimeter of traps around a base of a volcano, sir. They said that they are planning to search the base of the volcano today, it is the only place where she might be that they've seen so far..." He waited for Zuko to speak, but he was lost in thought. He mindlessly waved him away, and the servant left quickly. Zuko remembered Ozai speaking of a place that so far fit the description. He was interrupted again by two messengers rushing to his door. They knocked, and Zuko nodded. One began to read a scroll, and the other began to speak,"Sir, we have new reports from one of your search crews. They have found a suspicious looking, large unidentified building near an old military training facility. They have also noted that they see two men leave each night. They have never seen them return, but it is always the same two that leave. They are waiting to find an entrance, then they will once again contact us to see if it is a prison of some sort." He explained, allowing the other messenger to speak,"They have reported that the building is is just on the west of the capital." They both bowed, and left as quickly as the servant. Zuko sighed and rubbed his temples. If there was any chance of Mai being in any of those places, he wanted to look himself. But, what if he chose the wrong location? He groaned and slumped into his chair, trying not to let his emotions get in the way of being reasonable. "Knock Knock!" The voice of Sokka yelled from the door.

"So-''

"Two of my search crews have found locations she might be at." Zuko interrupted.

Sokka blinked," Oh, really?" He paused,"But, which one-"

"That's the problem." He interrupted again.

Sokka stroked at his imaginary beard. "Maybe, we should split up? You should go where you think it's most likely she's at, and Suki and I will go to the other location." He explained, while Zuko wavered his options.

"I don't know which one is more likely. Basically all I know is their locations, neither of the groups have actually entered yet. Well, one is entering today, but I still don't know how things are going..." Zuko trailed off, once again lost in thought. Sokka seemed to be as well, and neither of them spoke.

"Well, can you tell me what they found?" Sokka asked.

Zuko nodded,"One is at the base of the volcano, and the other is a building by an old facility, by the capital.."

Sokka rubbed the back of his head. "Let me go talk to Suki for a minute, just to see what she thinks." He said, already running towards the door.

He swung the door to Suki's room open, and saw she was in bed. He tip toed next to her, and whispered. "Suki, you awake?"

She stirred a bit, then nestled back into her pillow. She rubbed her eye,"Yeah, I'm just resting." She propped herself up on her elbow.

"Oh, sorry.. But, Zuko's searching people found two locations where Mai might be." Sokka informed quietly.

Suki's eyes widened a bit,"Really? Oh, that's good news." She said cheerfully.

"Well, yes... But that means if we want to search for her, we have to split up.. I thought I would go with you and Ty Lee again, and Katara, Aang and Zuko could go to the other location..." He explained. She nodded," Sounds like a plan."

--

Aang watched the crack under his door, waiting until two feet stopped in front of it. There was a quiet knock, and he politely invited them in. It was Katara. Seeing this, Aang smiled and leaned up in his bed,"Morning."

She smiled,"Morning." Katara greeted. She walked up to him, and sat on side of his bed, making herself comfortable. She rested her head on his legs. Aang chuckled,"If you're still tired why did you get out of bed?" He asked. She shrugged.

He stroked her head affectionately, and then Roku's voice seemed to scream inside of his head. He swallowed hard, and cringed. Katara lifted herself off of him when she felt him stiffen,"What's wrong?" She asked, putting a hand on his cheek.

Aang shook his head, dismissing the conversation,"It's nothing."

"You've been acting kind of... off... lately.." Katara stated, stroking her thumb up and down his cheek. Roku's voice just got louder with every touch. Aang jolted out of his bed, and stumbled over his shoes, causing him to fall. Katara stared at him, and blinked. "You sure you don't want to talk about it?" She asked, giving him her familiar apologetic look. "No, it's alright really, it's nothing. Nothing at all." He faked a smile, and rushed out of his room to the nearest bathroom. He splashed his face with water several times until his head was cleared. Aang took a deep breath and fell to his knees in front of the sink. This was beginning to be too much. He needed to clear this out with Roku, before he went insane.

--

She could see a small, simple farm house on the side of the road get closer and closer. Finally, shelter. Her cold, red eyes beamed across the valley, searching for any sign of life. But nothing, just an old, tattered building. The clouds above became darker, and small rain drops began to spill onto the floor. Azula whipped her ostrich horse, and it began to run even faster towards shelter. She was about to get off, when she noticed that their was a city just down the hill. Maybe there was food. Her stomach growled, and she took charge down the hill. Holding Mai onto the ostrich horse with her was even more tiring, and Azula was completely worn out. She had never felt so tired or hungry in her entire life. She felt like a peasant. The city got closer, and the lights became so bright she had to squint against it. She also realized as she got closer that there was a gate that closed the city in. Azula groaned, and noticed there was a house on the opposite side of the city. They must be the ones that allowed people inside... She thought. "Hey, who are you?" Asked a young, childish voice from the direction of the house. As she squinted, she saw it was a young boy, no older than 11 or 12. She glared at him,"It doesn't matter. Now are you going to let me in?" She asked. The boy stared at her, and realized who she was.

"You're.... You're suppose to be in prison! I'm going to turn you in if you don't leave here right now!" He shouted, and tears dripped from his eyes.

"I can't leave unless you open the gates." Azula stated calmly.

The boy growled,"I'm not opening the gates for you! You would probably hurt the people of this city, just like you hurt my family!"

"So, that's why you are being so difficult." Azula sighed,"Go on, yell at me all you want, get your revenge." She rolled her eyes.

"No! That wouldn't be fair! You killed every body in my family, and now all I have is my grandmother, and she is very sick, and once she's gone, I'll have nobody! The only fair thing is for you to be killed!"

"Well, you're very young to already have blood on you're hands." Azula said with a sly chuckle.

He pulled a dagger from his back pocket, and raised it into the air, as if he was going to throw. Azula grabbed Mai and used her unconscious body as a shield. The boy blinked when he saw this,"Who's...." He shook his head, and his angry expression returned,"I don't care! I'll go through anyone to get to you!" He yelled, raising the dagger again.

"Oh really? Even the Fire Lord's beloved girl friend?" Azula challenged, and smiled when the boy dropped the dagger.

"That's... She's..." He tried to maintain his expression, maybe he could just trick her into thinking he_ would _kill her, just so she would be scared and leave.

"I still don't care!" He forced out, and picked his knife up again.

"Really? Don't you know what would happen if you killed her? The Fire Lord would find out, and go completely insane, more so than he is now. And once the Fire Lord is insane, the people would have to elect a new royal family, wouldn't they? But how would they agree? That's correct, they wouldn't. Then, so much time would past of arguing over who should have that kind of power, that the Fire Nation would slowly fall apart. The entire kingdom would become hell. And with the Fire Nation so out of control, the other nations would slowly break apart as well, and the whole world would slowly destroy itself, all because of _you._" Azula explained in a monotone. The boy just stared at her, he couldn't even move, he was so shocked.

"I- I'm sorry." He sputtered,"Here." He reached for the trigger that would open the gates, and the doors slowly opened.


	17. Chapter 17

I'll post the reviews for this chapter and the previous chapter on chapt. 18 ;]

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**Chapter 17**

Zuko lay awake, his head not allowing him to sleep. Tomorrow, him, Katara and Aang were going to the building near the capital. He hoped, so much, that it was the right place. He also hoped she was okay. He cringed at the thought of her. He quickly shook her image out of his mind, it might turn into something he hadn't planned, especially now that it was night time. Zuko lifted himself from his bed, he knew it was pointless to even try to sleep. He choked down an entire jug of water before setting out for a walk around the palace. He was planning to go to the pond that always seemed to clear his head, when he came across Sokka digging through the cupboards in the kitchen.

"Sokka?" Zuko whispered.

Sokka jumped and spilled a plate on the floor, which shattered to pieces.

"Oh, sorry! I didn't know you where there and.. dropped that.." He trailed, rubbing the back of his head.

Zuko sighed,"It's fine," He shook his head,"I mean, what are you doing in here?"

Sokka shrugged,"I got hungry."

There was a short, somewhat comfortable silence between them.

"So," Sokka said, breaking the silent air,"What are _you_ doing in here?"

Zuko sat against the window sill, watching the sleeping city. "I can't sleep." He murmured.

Sokka nodded, and took a seat by him, following his stare out of the window. There was another silence, which made Sokka so relaxed it took him several minutes to speak up again.

"Remember that trip we all took to the mountains, a couple months ago?" Sokka asked, reaching for an apple.

Zuko closed his eyes, recalling the memory. The memory of feeling whole again. He nodded slowly, and thoughts of that vacation began to invade his mind as well.

"Remember how Mai got lost there, too?" Sokka asked, taking a bite.

Zuko cringed, and he struggled to maintain his normal expression when he saw that Sokka hadn't intended any offense by this. It slightly irritated him, that he really had showed him no mercy with that statement. He managed to nod, and he began to remember the trip. He had wanted to forget, she had really scared him. But he had taken it for granted, as soon as he had her again.

_"Where is she?! How could you just leave her there?! Why didn't you-"_

_"It wasn't our fault! We searched for hours! We were exhausted and cold and hungry, we had to come back! And we're sorry, but all we found was the sled!" _

_Those words pierced right through him. His eyes slammed shut, but tears managed to escape. He let them fall down his face, and onto the floor. He didn't care. _

_"I'm going to look for her myself." Zuko stated, already heading towards the door._

_The blizzard was thick, he had to squint against it to even get a glimpse of his surroundings. He ran to where he recalled where the sled had been, and dug deep into the snow. If she fell off, the blizzard was so thick she could have been buried by now. _

_"Mai!" He screamed, his voice so loud it made him cringe at the sound. _

_He heard a moaning sound coming from behind some of the trees next to him, and his heart skipped a beat. He dragged himself up and straddled over to the moaning, and began to dig again._

_"Mai?!" He panicked, digging frantically. He felt the snow began to warm, and he could feel cloth._

_He gasped,"Mai!" He shot a small blast of fire around the snow, melting it into water on top of her. He collapsed her to his chest, stroking her back, trying to warm her. _

_"Are you okay?!" He asked, still shouting. She moaned a bit, and struggled a small nod before nuzzling into his chest, his warmth. _

_"Come on." Zuko said lifting her from the water, and taking her into his arms. He balanced her in one arm, while the other struggled to rip off his shirt. As soon as he was free of it, he wrapped it around her, covering her body as much as he could. He trailed up to the shower rooms, and locked them both in a stall. He turned the water fossett all the way to the left, and helped Mai remove her clothes as soon as he could feel steam. _

_"I'm cold." Mai managed to whisper, and she shuddered against his icy skin. _

_"I know, you'll be warm in just a minute, okay?" He confirmed, and untied the sash that held his shirt together. Each cloth fell to her ankles, and Zuko stared admiringly. The sight of her completely revealed body made him feel strangely relaxed. Zuko felt a small, relieved smile edging it's way onto his lips. He blinked himself back to reality, and shook his head. He took her hand, and led her into the hot water. She moaned with pleasure at the feel of it against her freezing body. _

_Zuko's face flushed, and he shot his head to the side,"J-just tell me when you feel better.." He trailed off. A few minutes passed, and steam covered the frosted window that replaced a ceiling. _

_Mai slowly parted from the hot water, and trudged back to Zuko, waiting for his assistance. "Oh, here.. Let me help you." He muttered, reaching for his shirt again. He slipped it over her head, and lifted her back into his arms. The way she completely eased into him told Zuko that she was still very exhausted. He was halfway through the shower rooms when Mai pressed a hand against his chest, as if commanding him to stop. He obliged, and stared at her, confused. _

_"Kiss me." She spoke softly against his chest, but Zuko heard clearly. His concerned look turned into an apologetic smile, as his hand cupped her chin. He pulled her lips to his and began to part them slowly, before pulling away. He wanted to get her back to the cabin before she passed out of exhaustion._

_"Again." She whispered, waiting for his lips to press against hers. He sighed, but didn't refuse. He pulled her lips against his, this time less gently, and more passionate. He set a hand on her cheek, deepening their kiss. He hesitated, and separated again, resting his forehead against hers._

_"One more." Mai murmured weakly, this time pressing her lips to his. He waited until her wants were at the least fulfilled, and took this chance to get back to the cabin. He wanted to kiss her as much as she wanted to kiss him, but he didn't want her to get to tired. She had just been out in a blizzard covered in snow for more than two hours. He hurried, and saw Aang and Suki on the front porch, smiling widely. Aang hurried inside to get the others, while Suki rushed to them._

_"Is she okay?" She asked, worried._

_"Yes, she's just really tired. I think she might have fallen asleep already." He reassured, staring at her peaceful sleeping expression. _

_"Oh, thank goodness, we were so worried." She said with a sigh, as Katara and Aang ran outside. _

_"Is she-" They both started._

_"Yes," Suki interrupted with a smile. They both sighed in relief. _

_"Where's Sokka?" Suki asked the two of them._

_Aang shrugged,"He's in the bathroom , I think." _

_Suki parted her lips to the side, and Katara turned to lead them into the cabin._

_They had dinner, and everybody exchanged goodnights. Zuko hurried into his room to check on Mai. Her eyes were opened slightly, but he knew she was awake._

_"Mai.." He moaned unintentionally. His feet dragged him to his bed, and he tucked in beside her. He leaned on his elbow, and stared at her. She stared back up at him, and set a hand on his cheek. His eyes closed at her touch, and his hand searched for her arm. His thumb traced up and down the side of her arm, and her eyes fluttered close as well. They both entranced each other until they were fast asleep in each other's arms. _

He stared out the window, and hadn't realized a small smile taking shape onto his lips.

"Yes." Zuko said, as Sokka stared at him, puzzled.

"Oh.. It was just on my mind, for some reason..." Sokka trailed, still a bit confused. He shook his head,"Well, I might as well get Suki some food as well.... I know she isn't asleep." He said with a smile, as he grabbed an orange and threw away his apple core. Zuko hadn't noticed he had finished. He blushed slightly, realizing he must have dozed off.

"Oh, well.. Night." Zuko sputtered awkwardly.

Sokka nodded and smiled, and headed back towards Suki's room. He paused, just before he was out of sight,"Hey, Zuko?" He started.

Zuko lifted himself off of the window sill,"Yeah?" He asked.

"You should try and get some rest, since, we have a big trip tomorrow." He added before disappearing completely. Zuko sighed, and started back for his bedroom.


	18. Chapter 18

**Reviews chapt. 16- 17 **

**Kimjuni2**** -**

**_I luv the Maiko scène although it looks like a memorie, what i probaly is, but i love it. Can't wait till chapter 18, I want a Maiko reunion ! So please update soon again and I'll be ofcourse R&R, great job !_**

Yesh, it is a memory ^^ And Zuko won't stop till Mai is back in his arms ;]

**gloomy maiko lover**** -**

**_This chapter was great I just Love this story so much even thou it's so painful to read still so loved this loved the Maikoness can't wait till their is more Maikoness and to know what happens next and intill you update hope you update soon so again awsome,great,wonderful,wonderful job. as always and will always do so I'll be R&R so just loved this :):)_**

Sorry for painfullness xD ty ^^

**Kimjuni2 -**

**_Oeh looks like Mai' still alive and Azula, yeah even evil as always, and what she says was right if that guard guy really did kill Mai, then he better can kill himself before Zuko does. Hopely this is th location where Mai is and that zuko find her. I love your story so please update soon again and I'll be R&R !  
Good job_**

Yes, at least she still alive :D Haha thanks x]

**gloomy maiko lover** **-**

**_I just Love this story you did a wonderful job I can't wait to know what happens next and can't wait till you update hope you update soon and I hope Zuko finds Mai and I just can't wait so again great,awsome,wonderful job as always and always will do so I'll be R&R :) :)_**

Thank yewww ^^

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**Chapter 18**

Aang made his way through the corridors and into his room, and immediately started to meditate. He tried to make his mind at ease, but at the moment was impossible. Everybody was preparing, preparing to find Mai. Zuko had explained the two locations she is most likely to be at, and he had chosen to strike the one near a capital. He would take a secret river, one Aang had learned about before, that leads exactly to the capital. Aang shook his head, shaking away distressed thoughts with it. He drew in a big breath, and as he exhaled, slowly made his way into the avatar state. It looked just like where he had been before, in what he thought was a dream. He still hadn't figured out rather if it was a dream or not, but for the sake of his relationship with him and Katara, he hoped it was a dream with all he had.

"Roku?" He called out, as the figure of Roku slowly showed itself. Aang patiently waited for Roku to speak, but he never spoke up.

Aang hesitated, and swallowed, not really knowing how to start. "Roku.. The last time we spoke, or the last time I thought we spoke... You told me, that my mission was only half way through..." He trailed, still waiting for some kind of reaction from Roku. But, he remained still.

"You told me that the world still wasn't at balance,"He hesitated,"That I had to repopulate the air nomads." He mumbled, he knew Roku would hear him. Roku simply nodded.

"It is true, Aang. You must finish your mission, or the world will never be at balance, ever again. You are the only being that can truly restore the balance, the balance of the world, and the balance of the avatar."

"But I don't understand! Even if I do... that, then who is suppose to even teach the next air nomad avatar air bending?" Aang asked, his voice rising with every word.

"If you rise to your task, everything will be solved. Your children will grow older, and you will teach them all you know of air bending. Then, they will continue to grow until they have children of their own, and cary on your legacy." Roku explained, very at ease on the subject. Aang definitely wasn't.

His fingers trembled,"B-but... How much time do I have left?" He asked, barely a whisper.

"You have until you know that you've found the one you truly love, the one you will be with forever." Roku explained, an apologetic smile shaping onto his lips.

Aang had already found that person. He looked down, and Roku waited for the information to sink in. Aang rubbed the back of his neck,"Katara."

--

"Zuko, we have some extra help for our mission," Sokka started walking up to Zuko, who at the moment was completely dazing off. He shook his head, and turned around slowly,"Who?" He asked dryly.

"I sent a messenger hawk to my father, explaining the situation, and he sent a message saying he would bring his finest troops with him." Sokka explained. Zuko nodded, and stared out at the city below. Sokka followed his stare, then gave him an encouraging hand on his shoulder. "We're going to get her back, today." Zuko nodded again, and fought off hopeful thoughts wanting to invade his mind. He couldn't get his hopes up. He knew if he did, the universe would fail him on purpose. Sokka smiled and motioned towards the door, and Zuko followed. Suki was in the kitchen, gathering as much food for the trip as she could manage with out getting odd stares.

Katara pulled her hair back into a simple braid, and started towards Aang's room. "You ready?" She asked before turning the corner. Aang was tying the sash to his familiar robes, and he struggled a nod. She smiled and waited patiently. "Hmm, you're usually an early riser. What took you so long?" Katara started as they made their way back down the hallway.

"Oh, nothing, I was just visiting Roku..." He trailed off. Katara looked at him,"What was it about?" She asked innocently.

Aang shrugged,"It's nothing. R-really, nothing at all." He blabbed nervously. She propped an eyebrow, and continued through the dining room and out of the doors that would lead to the dock.

Ty Lee and Suki were carrying bags onto the deck, and Zuko and Sokka were just a bit ahead of Aang and Katara.

"There's my dad's ship!'' Sokka yelled, running up to the crew.

Zuko waited until the embracing was done, and reintroduced himself to Hakoda.

"I'm very, very sorry about what has happened." Hakoda said politely, giving Zuko a concerned look. Zuko looked down, and simply thanked him with a nod. Hakoda then clapped loudly, catching the crew's attention,"Alright men, follow the coordinates my son has prepared for us, then search for the girl that fits the description we've received." He explained calmly, as Zuko turned to leave.

"Sokka?" He asked, noticing when Sokka wasn't behind him.

"I'm going to stay here, if you don't mind. And, Suki and Ty Lee can go with you...?" Sokka asked hopefully, wanting to tell his father the news.

Zuko looked back towards his ship,"Alright." He said with a sigh, heading back towards his dock. Thoughts of Mai escaped in Zuko's mind. He groaned in irritation. Thinking about her hurt him, but at the moment, she was all he could think about. He wanted her again, he truly loved her. He buried his face in his hands, his teeth clenched. He remembered Mai tugging at his hair through rough, heated kisses, pulling them closer. Her hands soaring freely under his clothing. Goose bumps shot down his arms. He shook them off, and stumbled up the side of his ship. His eyes were slammed closed, and he really had no idea where he was going. He could care less if he fell off of his ship, which if he didn't look where he was going, he was about to do so.

"Whoah there." Aang grunted as he pulled Zuko back from the edge of the ship. His eyes sprung open in realization, though he was still a bit dazed.

"Wh- what..?" Zuko grumbled. He straightened himself up.

"I saw where I was going." He lied, and turned away from Aang. He chuckled,"Alright, sure you did." He played along. He crossed his arms over his chest, and Zuko let his head droop back down. Aang stared at him,"You really love her, don't you?" He asked, seeming to read Zuko's mind. Zuko's eyes widened a bit after this, then he forced a small nod. Aang smiled.

--

Sokka grinned widely out at the open sea, as the ship chased after Zuko's crew. "So, how is Katara?" Hakoda asked from behind him.

Sokka turned around,"She's the same... I guess... But, dad.." Sokka started, but he was cut off from another familiar face.

"Grandpaku!" He yelled excitedly, running over to him for a hug. Pakku rolled his eyes, used to the nickname by now. "Yes, yes it's good to see you too. Now I'm starved, let's go get some food." He said, turning to the small room on the bottom of the deck. They followed, not noticing they were both a bit hungry as well. There was a table and six small chairs. Sokka smiled and sat at the end of the table. Hakoda set a plate of tuna salmon in front of him, and he clapped excitedly. "Yum!" Sokka yelled, taking a bite. Hakoda chuckled, and Pakku shook his head.

About halfway through their meals, Sokka realized this was the perfect time to tell them. He cleared his throat nervously.

"So... I have some news, dad." He started, forcing a smile.

"Mmm?" Hakoda mumbled through a bite.

Sokka picked at his fingernail nervously. "Well, you know.. Suki and I have been going out for a pretty long time now..." He started, and continued, since both of their expressions never faltered. "Well... She's pregnant." He spat out. Hakoda spit out a sip of water he had just taken, and slammed a hand over his mouth. Pakku just stared at him, and slowly shook his head.

"Are you mad? Don't be mad please dad I was jus-''

Hakoda shook his head as he wiped his mouth with a napkin,"No, no, I'm not angry. I certainly am surprised, though." He said with an awkward chuckle.

"I'm only surprised the kid knew what to do with his-"

"BUT I am a bit disappointed in you." Hakoda cut Pakku off, and shot him a look. Pakku ignored him.

Sokka leaned back in his chair, feeling a bit less guilty. "Okay... Good." He said, taking another bite.

--

"Why didn't Sokka come with us?" Suki asked to Ty Lee, but Zuko answered.

"I think he wanted to tell Hakoda about you and him." He said, not moving from his stiff position. He hadn't looked away from the moving water beneath the ship since they began to leave. Katara gave him a concerned look,"It's going to be alright, Zuko. I'm sure she is doing just fine. " She said encouragingly, but it made Zuko feel no different.

"I know she's alright, now... I can't explain it, but I can just tell she is... " He hesitated,"But what if... What if I'm wrong?" He asked in a whisper.

Katara didn't know what to say to him. She honestly had no idea who they were up against. It could be stupid punks, or it could be trained, skilled fighters. She sighed to herself.

"Don't think that way," Was all she could think of.

They were interrupted by Ty Lee bursting into tears. "Don't cry!" Suki yelled in a harsh whisper,"We are trying to make Zuko feel better not even more depressed!" She said through clenched teeth. "I'm sorry but I can't help i-i-it!!!" Ty Lee shouted. Zuko buried his face in his folded arms, muting them out.

"Great, now look what you did!" Suki shouted again, but Ty Lee couldn't hear through her loud cries.

Zuko tried to hold down his longing for Mai, but he couldn't. He wanted to feel her skin against his, and feel nothing else. He wanted to kiss her. Zuko groaned silently to himself, and his hands curled into fists as memories flashed through his head. He remembered the way they could be themselves around each other. He remembered seeing Mai's completely exposed body for the first time, and he remembered a talk he had with her, not to long ago.

_ "I don't want you staying out so late." Zuko complained, and Mai rolled her eyes. _

_"I'm not two, Zuko. I can take care of myself." She said, placing a reassuring hand on his cheek. _

_"I didn't know any of the guys at that party. And more than half of them were staring at you." He said, turning on his side. Mai smiled and wrapped his arms around him, nibbling on his ear. Shivers ran down his spine. "I wasn't staring at them." She whispered. _

_"But, you were alone with them! What if they got the wrong idea, or tried to take advantage of you?" Zuko asked turning back to face her. _

_"Then I'd beat them up." She said sarcastically. Zuko didn't catch it. _

_"What if they were stronger than you?" He challenged._

_"They weren't stro-" _

_Zuko interrupted her by hurling himself on top of her, and pressed her hands above the bed post. Mai writhed under him, trying to free herself, then stared at him, realizing what he was doing. She groaned,"I let you do that." His mouth set in a deep line._

_"Sure you did." He rolled his eyes and lay back beside her. _

This memory just made Zuko feel even more paranoid. Despite Mai's talent with daggers, she was still a girl. A very beautiful one, at that. Which didn't help. His eyes slammed shut. _Nothing like that happened to her _his head repeated over and over. He looked out towards the sea, as the capital became more and more clear.


	19. Chapter 19

Reviews on next chap. ;]

---------------------------------

**Chapter 19**

Zuko turned around on the bow of the ship, to make sure Hakoda's ship had turned in the other direction. He figured they must have, since they were out of sight. He felt somewhat relieved, and in another way distressed. Hakoda and Sokka are going for the volcano, while Zuko and the others are going to the capital. Zuko's ship slowly pulled into the dock, and everybody unloaded. Toph hurled into the earth, showing a real smile for the first time in days. "LAND!" She yelled. She stroked the earth in admiration. "I thought you could metal bend, so a ship wouldn't really be a big deal for you?" Aang asked, picking up his new glider.

"Well, I can metal bend, but despite that earth is my natural element and I like it more of the two." Toph explained, picking up a handful of dirt and rubbing it against her skin. Aang shook his head and caught up with Zuko who was already on his way. "Zuko, wait. We need a plan." He tried to reason, but Zuko didn't slow down. He seemed to speed up. Aang sighed, and waved on the rest of the group. Suki, Ty Lee, Katara and Toph hurried their ways up to them. Aang turned around to face them as he walked,"So, we should split up, to cover more territory. Suki, you should go with Ty Lee, Katara should go with Toph, and I'll just stay with Zuko." The plan was reasonable enough for everybody to agree. They continued through the trail, until they saw a huge, old building. Big, black clouds swarmed the top, and parts of the stone on the side of the walls were crumbling. Zuko shot his head down and continued, he wouldn't let that get to him. But it got to Aang.

"Is _that _it?" Aang asked in disbelief. Zuko just nodded, and hurried. The others stared, and followed him, all giving Zuko concerned stares. He ignored them.

He waited until he was in touching distance of the building, then turned to Aang. "I sent a search team here a few days ago. They probably are gone by now, but they said that there is only one way to enter."

"Well that's gonna change." Toph said with a smirk, cracking her knuckles. She rubbed her hands together, and punched her fist into the side of the wall. A small, but noticeable dent formed as she removed her fist and repeated. After a few strikes, there was a large whole in the side of the wall.

"Stay behind me." Toph warned, and everybody followed. She metal bended through the tunnels of the building, and Zuko slammed his eyes shut. He hated it here. Aang could almost feel depression radiating off of Zuko. He stared at him, and gave him a heartfelt nudge on his shoulder. The dark tunnel eventually became more and more light, and they could see that it was eventually ending. Zuko and Aang hurried past the others and turned their heads around the corner. They saw a large dining room, that was currently unoccupied. They heard footsteps, and swung their heads back , listening tentatively. The footsteps were greeted by another pair of footsteps, and they both eventually slowed. "Do they have any of her whereabouts yet?" One voice asked, a low, mans voice.

"No, but if we don't get her back in the next two days the boss is going to be furious." The other answered calmly.

"Yes, he will. It's been almost a year since the boss actually bought one of his own findings. He must have really liked her." The man said with a low chuckle.

"Yes yes, she was quite a stunning young lady. I swear I knew her from somewhere though, didn't you?" The other man asked, his voice just a notch higher.

"Yeah, I kind of felt like that too... She looks a lot like the Fire Lord's _hubby._" They both chuckled. And Zuko through his face in his hands. Aang's eyes widened, and his brows furrowed. Zuko's mouth began to twitch with anger, and he couldn't take it any more. He swung around the corner, ignoring Aang pleads to stop. The two men stared at him, completely dumbfounded. Zuko grabbed both of their necks, and flew them both into the wall. He grabbed their necks again, squeezing tightly, until he could hear them gasping for air. "Who were you talking about?!" He yelled. They stared and blinked, and eventually one spoke up.

"We don't know who she is! One of our men just found her on the streets of the Fire Nation!" He managed to choke out. Zuko gripped him harder, until he coughed loudly from the impact. The other man began to notice who Zuko was, but the first was in too much shock to realize.

"What did she look like?!" Zuko demanded, slamming his head against the wall.

"She had long dark hair and auburn-ish eyes! An- and that's all I remember I swear!" He pleaded, shaking his head.

Zuko shot a look at the other man, who trembled at the hate in his eyes,"That's all I remember too! She was wearing a red Fire Nation robe before she was brought here and we changed her attire!" He yelled, and shook as Zuko's nails pierced into his skin. Zuko slammed their heads against the wall again.

"Where did she go?!" Zuko shouted, and they trembled at the sound of his voice.

"We don't know!" One spat out. "Yeah, she woke up a few days ago, and got completely spooked and ran off!" The other admitted.

Aang just listened from the corner, hearing just about enough. He eventually showed himself, and the two men shuddered against the wall.

Zuko noticed, but didn't stop,"Where did she run to?!" He shouted once more.

"She ran up the stair way, and somehow escaped from the top of the building." He spat out, and gasped for air once Zuko released them and threw their backs against the wall.

"You go check the top for any signs, and I am going to take a look around this place..." Aang explained, waving the rest of the group in. Zuko knew what that meant. Aang was going to rescue the other girls that were being held here. Zuko ran up the stair way and saw the door Mai escaped out of. He swung himself out, and came to a dead stop when he saw it. It felt like his heart froze, that a huge part of him died as soon as he came out of the door. He was nothing. There, lying sprawled out on the floor in front of him, was Mai's clothing, completely drenched in blood. He hadn't noticed falling to his knees, but he was on the floor now. He reached a hand to touch his face, and noticed that wet tears rolled off his chin. He couldn't even move. All around him he could see nothingness, without her, this was who he was. His head drooped down, and he dared to touch the cloth in front of him. His fingers trembled against the wet fabric, and he saw his tears fall onto it. His teeth clenched, and his breathing quickened. Zuko had never felt this empty in his entire life. He began to hyperventilate and his hands wrapped around her clothing, hugging them against his chest. For the moment, it was somehow holding him together. He also hadn't noticed he had been screaming her name since he had even seen the clothing.

Aang ran up the stairs as soon as he heard Zuko screaming, and froze when he saw, just as Zuko had. "Oh... no..." He moaned, and fell to his knees next to Zuko. Zuko buried his face in her clothing, not carrying about the blood that stained into his robes. Katara trailed behind Aang, and stared at them. She swallowed hard when she saw what was going on, and set an affectionate hand on Zuko's shoulders. Toph was not far behind Katara, and just stood behind the three of them. She could tell something drastic must have happened, since nobody was talking and Zuko was crying and screaming. Katara turned around and whispered the situation in a monotone, and Toph's eyes widened.

"But... wait, didn't those guard dudes say that Mai had to change her attire once she showed up?" She asked quietly, though Zuko somehow managed to hear in between his screams. His eyes sprung open, and he flew back. "So... so... So she's not... She's still... Might be..." Zuko mumbled, and Aang slowly began to smile and nod."This was set up." Came Suki's voice from behind. Toph hadn't noticed her arrive. "This was an easier mission than I thought! All of the guards are scared of us, and did exactly what we said! We let all of the prisoners free already!" Ty Lee exclaimed cheerfully from next to Suki, acting as if nothing had just happened.

Zuko arubtly turned around,"What were they wearing?" He asked. Ty Lee stared at him and blinked,"Well, hardly anything." She whispered, and looked down. Zuko frowned again, and set his face back into her clothing. Katara set a hand on his shoulder again,"See, you weren't wrong. She's still okay." She whispered, and Zuko didn't respond. They were quiet for a moment, then Aang spoke up. "So, I assume you are throwing everybody here in jail for the rest of their lives?" Aang asked, trying to keep things as positive as he could manage. They all chuckled as Zuko nodded, and began going back downstairs, Mai's clothing in hand. The men shuddered in fear at their arrival, and Aang helped lead them all, including the boss, down to their ship. Zuko had already prepared a team of officers to arrive days earlier, and they were exactly on time. They stared in shock at the amount of prisoners. "Take them all, and lock them up forever." Zuko explained simply, and headed back up the side of the ship. The police shrugged and began to lead the prisoners to the closest prison.

"That's my dad's ship!" Katara yelled as Hakoda's crew pulled in next to Zuko's.

Sokka ran down the side, and at once hurried right up to Zuko. He stared for a brief moment at the stained clothing in his hands, but then shook it off and spoke.

"She wasn't there, was she..." Sokka asked, and Zuko shook his head. "And that's-" He said, motioning towards the clothes.

"A trap. A set up. She's still alive, I can feel it." Zuko cut him off,"And I presume you didn't find her, either?" He asked.

Sokka shook his head,"No. But, you're never going to believe who we _did _find."


	20. Chapter 20

Reviews chapt. 18 - 19

**gloomy maiko lover** **- **

This was so painful my eyes got watery even though I new Mai wasn't dead at least I think she's not hopefully she's not so this was very painful but you did a great,and awsome,and wonderful wonderful job as always and always will do so again wonderful job and I just love this story and can't wait to know what happens next and can't wait till you update hope you update soon love this and as soon as you update I'll R&R. xD :( xD :( xD :( xD :(

Yes hopefully she isn't x] thankiee ^^

** Kimjuni2 -**

_Zuko was close but Mai wasn't there, she's a time ago escaped. I want a reunion and fast, they can't without eachother and I can't either. The scène with her clothes and Zuko, was nice, he really care/love her. Please Update soon again and I'll be R&R !  
And lol by my it's already 12 august :D  
But you really did great job !_

I know :[ I hated writing this chapter.. I wanted to kill myself!!!! D:( Yes Zuko does love her very much XD Thankyew :]

** SuperSumer**** -**

_cool story plz update soo_n

thanxx... I will ^.^

** Kimjuni2**** -**

_Like it ... Like it... no I LOVE IT AGAIN ! Ty lee is gonna cry and that gives Zuko more bad feelings. Ow I want a Maiko reunion. Please Update soon again, I must reading, so I read it from the beginning, till your Update =D So pleas Update and I'll be R&R !_

lol ty :D I can't wait to write the reunion X] and thank u again xD

gloomy maiko lover -

_I love this story you did a great job. :) but this is still painful :( so just love this and can't wait to know what happens next and can't wait till you update hope you update soon and again you did a great,awsome,wonderful job as always and will always do so Love this story so much and I'll be R&R as soon as you update so I guess bye for now. xD xD_

Thanks :) byebye xD

--------

**Chapter 20 **

"Well who did you find?" Asked Zuko.

"You'll see." Sokka said with a wink. Zuko rolled his eyes, and waited impatiently, tapping his foot against the sand. Then, as the figure emerged from the side of the ship, Zuko's brows began to rise. He stared, unmoving, and Sokka's smirk widened.

"Is... that's..." Was all Zuko managed to choke out. He shook his head, making sure he wasn't hallucinating.

"Pinch me." He whispered to Sokka.

"You're not dreaming, Zuko." Sokka replied with a chuckle.

Zuko's eyes widened as the slow moving figure of his mother came into the sunlight. She paused in her tracks and smiled at him. His mouth fell open, and he hadn't noticed tears draining from the corners of his eyes.

Ursa made her way down the side of the ship calmly, and took a place in front of Zuko. Sokka yawned,"Well, I'm gonna go take a nap." He said, and smiled before departing. Zuko still hadn't moved. Ursa chuckled at his perplexed expression. Zuko shook his head,".. Is that... really you?" He asked, a small smile edging at the corners of his lips. It was time he had actually smiled since the day Mai was taken. Ursa nodded simply, and embraced Zuko in a hug. He wrapped his arms around her. After a moment, Zuko started to feel confused. "Wait, where were you?" He asked.

She propped an eyebrow,"You see me for the first time in almost ten years, and that's the first thing you say to me?" Ursa asked.

Zuko blinked,"N-no, I mean I just, didn't-"

Ursa chuckled again," I'm just kidding with you, Zuko." She set a hand on his cheek,"My have you grown." She whispered. Her smile faded the closer her fingers got to his scar.

Her hand stopped over the torn skin, and she opened her mouth as if she were going to speak.

"It wasn't your fault." Zuko interrupted.

Ursa stared at him,"It wasn't your fault, either."

They were both quiet for a moment.

"But, seriously.. Where were you all this time?" Zuko asked again.

She sighed, and slowly shook her head, a small smile making it's way onto her lips again. "We'll talk about it later." She set a hand back onto his cheek,"I'm so, so proud of you, Zuko." Ursa brought him back into a hug, and spoke against him,"I was worried you'd forgotten who you are."

"I never forgot what you told me." Zuko said with a smile.

Ursa pulled away from him,"So, can you explain the situation? I heard most of it from your friend, but I didn't really catch why we were here....." She trailed off, remembering all of what Sokka explained.

Zuko sighed, and his head drooped. Ursa patiently waited, knowing it must be bad news.

"Did he explained about Mai?" Zuko asked, forcing out her name.

Ursa nodded, unsure,"Yes, he did mention something about her. He said she was your girlfriend..?" She asked.

His shoulders slumped,"She is... And I was going to ask her... I was going to ask her if... She wanted to marry me..."

Ursa smiled,"That's wonderful Zuko."

"But before I could she was taken." Zuko spat out, cringing. His fingers trembled.

Ursa blinked, and her mouth parted slightly. "That's... awful..." She said, looking down.

Zuko swallowed hard,"I was so close to finding her..." He whispered to himself, but she heard clearly.

---

"I'm so happy for them!" Ty Lee said, jumping cheerfully as she turned to Suki.

"Me too. But sadly I can't show as much enthusiasm as you or I'll throw up again." Suki said with a smile.

Ty Lee giggled,"I'm so happy for you, too. I still can't believe you're pregnant! You're not even showing." She said, glancing at her flat stomach.

Suki shrugged,"Well, it hasn't been that long... And, it's not certain.. Maybe it's just a coincidence." She said leaning into her chair.

Ty Lee paused,"Do you want it to be a coincidence?" She asked quietly.

Suki stared up at her,"No, of course not. I've always wanted a child of my own, and now I might get one." She said, smiling.

Ty Lee smiled again,"Good." She turned back around to look at Zuko and Ursa, but they were both gone. "Hey, where did-"

"They're over there." Suki interrupted, pointing to the two coming up the side of the ship.

Ty Lee clapped, and headed over to them. "Hello Ursa!" She greeted cheerfully. Ursa smiled,"Ty Lee, you've grown as well."

She nodded,"Yep, 5 feet, 3 inches!" Ty Lee said with a small jump. Ursa chuckled. She looked over towards Suki, who simply smiled,"I'm new." She greeted with a laugh. Ursa laughed as well, and Zuko felt happier than he has in months. "So," Suki started, ready for business,"What's the plan?"

Zuko sighed,"Right now we don't have one. Not until we gain any more information on where she's been." He said, walking towards the edge of the ship. He gave the captain a small nod, who then started to steer the ship out of the dock. Hakoda's crew followed.

"Hey... Where's Katara?" Ty Lee asked.

"Her room. Sleeping, I think." Suki responded.

Zuko went into the center of the ship and into his room, locking the door behind him. He needed privacy, at the moment. Though, when ever he was alone, Mai was all he could think about. Her voice swarmed in his head, and his fingers reached out to grasp her. But, there was nothing. He buried his face in his pillow, and let thoughts of her invade his mind.

---

"Aang, you sure everything is okay?" Katara asked as she stroked her hand along Aang's arm. He swallowed and nodded,"Yes, it's fine Katara. Don't worry about it." He said hesitantly, and turned around so his back was to her. She sighed,"I can tell when somethings wrong. You can talk to me about anything."

He was quiet for a moment, then spoke up when he found words,"You'll get mad."

"I promise I won't get mad," Katara immediately objected," What ever it is I'll understand."

"Look, Katara, it's okay, really. It's just that I've recently heard some .. shocking... news, and it's just going to take me some getting used to before I'll be normal again. It won't concern you until later, alright? Just stop worrying, please." Aang explained, turning back to face her.

Katara let out a deep breath,"Alright. If you think that's the right thing to do, then I'll listen." She agreed, as Aang took her hand and kissed it gently.


	21. Chapter 21

Reviews on next chapt... like always ;]

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**Chapter 21**

Toph leaned over the side of the ship, and her stomach gurgled. "I hate this." She moaned.

Katara sighed,"Here, just lay down and rest. Just don't think about it and you'll probably feel a lot better." She encouraged while gathering salt water in her pouch.

"Fine." Toph groaned as she flew down onto the metal floor.

Katara blinked,"Don't you want to go to your room?" She asked.

Toph shook her head, and Katara shrugged. Aang hadn't spoken all day. He had been watching the horizon since they departed, and has remained completely still.

"What's with Aang?" Toph asked.

Katara stared at him. She honestly didn't know. She wanted to help him, she wanted to reach out to him. But, when ever she tried, he just pulled away. Maybe, he was mad at her.

She sighed,"I don't know." She whispered.

Suki leaned back in her chair, and rested a hand over her stomach. She _did _want to be pregnant. And she hoped she was. But she didn't know if Sokka wanted her to. They hadn't had a serious conversation about it yet, there were other things to worry about. But she needed to know, tonight.

"You alright?" Katara asked, noticing Suki's concerned expression. She snapped away from it immediately,"Oh, nothing." She said and turned away.

A moment later, Ty Lee made her way out to the deck, her long hair down for the first time since they met her. They realized her hair was actually quite wavy.

"Your hairs really pretty." Suki noted with a smile.

Ty Lee blinked and blushed,"Oh, I just let it down since we will almost be back to the palace... And planning again." She added with a nervous chuckle.

"Woo hoo." Toph said sarcastically.

_____

Mai blinked against the harsh sunlight, and waited until her eyes adjusted. _Now where am I? _She thought, annoyed. She realized her hair was still down, besides the two small buns on the top. She sighed, and tried to walk forward, but then sprung back. _What the- _She then also realized she was tied, both hands behind her back. Mai began to examine her surroundings, maybe she has been here before. Maybe this was the place with that man... She shook her head, no, this place was different. There was a small, window on the top of the wall, and a door on the opposite wall. She closed her eyes and listened, trying to hear voices, but she couldn't. All she could hear were screams. Screams of pain and agony. She squinted her eyes shut. Where was she? She began to panic, but something inside of her made her stop. She couldn't lose control, not now, at least. Mai could still hear screams all around her, and she figured there must be more rooms. The screams were high pitched, and Mai noted there must be other women here. The screams were pleading, and Mai tried to mute them out. Where was Azula? Where was Zuko?

_Where is he? _She thought frantically. She squirmed, trying to free herself from the shackles, but there was no way. Tears began to drain from her eyes the more she thought about him. Mai hadn't realized she missed him so much. _How long have we been separated? _She asked herself, trying to escape in a frenzy. She shook her head, trying to shake her tears away. But they wouldn't cease. She needed him. Badly. Her fingers trembled, and her back arched the more she thought about him. She wanted to hear his voice again. Then, her eyes widened. _His voice. _He had been talking to her, before. A part of Mai knew it was just her imagination, but she missed him too much, and at the moment could care less. _Zuko! Talk to me! _She screamed silently. No answer.

_Please! Please, please say something! _There was nothing. She was alone. Her eyes then fell onto the door. She was so confused, and so hurt... Her stare then turned to the stone floor beneath her. The tears still fell, and her breathing came in quick gasps.

_Mai. _Her name was called. His voice rang inside of her head.

_Zu- _

_Sleep, love. _He interrupted. Her chin quivered, and she slowly nodded as her eyes closed. She hadn't realized she was so exhausted. Mai was almost fast asleep, until she heard the door begin to creek open. Her head shot up, and she waited for whoever it was to reveal itself. She waited, and her heart began to beat faster and harder.

Then, she could see him. He was no older than 20, which made her feel a bit better.

"Awake? Finally. I was getting tired of your mindless body." He said with a smirk.

What does he mean by that? She thought. Mai's glare didn't cease.

She could hear Zuko's low snarls inside of her.

"But, now you're awake." He said, taking a few steps closer until they were almost touching.

He reached one hand out towards her, and Zuko hissed as his fingers brushed along her hip. What was she suppose to do? Just sit here? No. She couldn't give up. Zuko always told her so.

The boy began to lift her shorter robes over her head, when Mai kneed him between his legs. She could faintly hear Zuko's harsh laughter build up.

He began to lift himself back from the floor, and hissed at her,"You know? I was actually going to go easy on you. And, heck, maybe even set you free. But now, just because of that, you're going to wish you were never born." He finished and swung himself back out the doorway.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Hoped u liked it x] Review ;)


	22. Chapter 22

ehh, reviews on next chapter xD

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**Chapter 22**

Zuko had tossed and turned for at least 3 hours now. There was absolutely no way for him to sleep. _Please Mai, just stay safe. Please...._

He kept her image in his head, and kept replaying that last perfect moment they had together. That moment miraculously calmed his mind until he was fast asleep.

_"__She's gone, Zuko." Said Azula, a twisted smile curving up at the corners of her lips. _

_"No." He said,"No! No no no no NO!" Zuko repeated the word over and over, the world blurring around him._

_"She didn't make it." Azula taunted again. _

_"YES SHE DID!" He screamed, but he couldn't hear a sound._

_"Zuko, just stop fooling yourself. You know she didn't, so why do you keep playing this game? If you want to be with her so badly that you would make up these pathetic lies to yourself, why don't you just take your own life?" She challenged, taking a step closer._

_Zuko's eyes widened as he realized he was on the floor. He hadn't thought of that. Was it possible? He could be with her again? _

_"You're a waste of time." Azula said glancing at her nails as she turned around._

_"Wait!" He yelled, reaching a hand out towards her. She paused in her place, and a small smirk spread across her face._

_"I-" He stopped, making sure he wanted this,"I want.. to be with her again. I need her again." _

_Her smile widened as she drew a blade from her pocket, and set it into his hands. _

_"Well then, you know what to do." _

Zuko jolted from his sleep, and he shook himself back to reality.

"She's alive..." He whispered,"She isn't gone. She's here." His voice was too silent for even him to understand. He took a firm grip of a blanket that lay on top of him, and threw it over his head. He curled inwards, and his arms wrapped around his stomach. He had to hold himself together. His teeth ground together as he buried his face back into his pillow.

---

"Sokka?" Suki whispered, as she gently shook his shoulder just enough to wake him. He grunted silently and leaned on his elbow,"Yeah?" He mumbled.

Suki waited until he was adjusted, then bit her lip.

"Okay, look.... I just wanted to talk to you tonight about.. something." She explained peeking a look at him. His expression told her he understood.

She sighed,"Are you okay? You know with, everything?" She whispered, rubbing her arm. He set a hand on her cheek affectionately,"Are you?"

Suki looked down,"I asked you first."

"Well I asked you second." Sokka whispered. She drew in a big breath,"Well, yeah, if you are... I just.. Well....We haven't talked about this whole thing seriously yet... And I mean... I just want... To make sure you-"

"Make sure that I what?" Sokka asked, leaning closer to her.

She looked down,"That you love me and won't leave me because of this." She spat out. Suki couldn't look at him no matter how hard she tried.

He blinked and shook his head, forcing out a quiet laugh.

"Suki, I would _never _leave you. No matter what happens I'll always love you. And if I didn't, this never would have happened. Even though we're both a little scared, we'll get through this together. I'll always be there for you, both." Sokka explained, removing his hand from her face to stroke her stomach. Suki bit her lip to hide her smile, but her lips still curved at the corners. Sokka wrapped his arms around her, and ran his fingers through her hair.

_----_

"Goooood morning Team Avatar." Sokka said brightly as he bursted through the doors to the kitchen.

"Morning." Aang greeted cheerfully as he took bite of his eggs.

"Where's Ursa?" Sokka asked as soon as he noticed she wasn't there.

"She's probably with Zuko, catching up on things.." Katara suggested.

"So, what's the plan?" Toph changed the subject.

"I ... don't know...?" Sokka said, taking a seat across from Aang.

"Well Zuko's probably going to want a plan, don't you think?" Toph pointed out, shoving a mouth full of bacon down her throat.

Sokka rubbed the back of his neck,"Well... I... " He sighed,"I'll think of a plan later... But that's all I can do."

The group stared at him, dumbfounded,"What do you mean?" Ty Lee asked.

He strummed his fingers together,"I can't go, I need to stay with Suki. Sorry, but I just need to."

The others blinked,"Does she know about this yet?" Katara asked.

Sokka shook his head,"No. I'll tell her when she can't object. I know she'll want me to come and help, but I need to be with her right now."

Sokka waited for the group to take this in. "Well, won't Suki want to come help? She came last time, despite you know, everything." Toph said, leaning back into her chair.

Ty Lee and Katara nodded, and Aang just stared at him. Sokka couldn't tell if Aang's expression was worried, or proud.

"I don't want her to. It's too dangerous for her, going to places like the ones we've been to so far... Are the last places I want her to go to right now. " Sokka left it at that, and let the others figure out why. They realized most of it, if Suki also got taken, it could be very bad for her health, and the baby's.

"Well, while you figure out a plan, Aang and I are going to go practice metal bending." Toph exclaimed, cracking her knuckles.

"We are?" Aang asked.

She nodded and lifted herself from her chair.

"I've noticed that the last couple missions we've had, the only bending I've really had to use was with metal. And during the war, there wasn't enough time to teach you something that advanced. Now that you've pretty much mastered rock, we should move on to metal. And once you completely master the two, I'll teach you what no other earth bender in the entire world can do, or have even thought of." Toph explained and headed back towards the main hall that lead to a huge training facility.

Aang glanced at Katara, who gave him a small smile before he left.

"So, what is there that an earth bender can even bend besides metal and rock?" Aang asked as they headed down the hall.

"I'll tell you once you've mastered this new element. Remember, you can't call yourself a master earth bender if you're _that _impatient." Toph taunted, waving a finger at him. Aang rolled his eyes as they continued to the facility. It was huge, and the walls and floor were made of metal. Exactly what Toph was looking for.

She held a hand out to her left, preventing Aang from getting too close to her. She then spread her legs and steadied herself. When she felt ready, she slammed her hands against the metal, and took a firm grip. Once she had a strong hold, she lifted a good amount of metal from the floor, and continued to lift until it was as tall as she was.

Toph moved backwards, and pointed towards the mound of metal,"Now, put it back." She instructed.

He stared at her and blinked,"But, we've only just started! An-"

"I said, put it back." Toph interrupted, raising her tone a notch. Aang groaned, he knew how difficult Toph could be.

His hands curled into fists as he turned towards the metal pile, and he set one palm on the top. Toph propped an eyebrow at his technique.

He set his other palm on the top, and pressed all his weight into the metal. He grunted, and groaned once he realized it was going no where.

Aang then began to gather a ball of air into his hand, and slammed it against the top, which immediately backfired. The pressure threw him back against the wall, and Toph shook her head as she walked up to him. "We've just started and you're already thinking like an air bender! Remember what I told you, when you're earth bending, think _earth _bender, not air! You can't move the metal with air, you can't move it with water, you can't move it with fire, just _EARTH_! Now, put it back!" She shouted, and shoved him back in front of the metal.

Aang threw himself back around,"Toph, you just said yourself, we've just started! Maybe it would work better if you gave me a demonstration, or-"

"Fine, I'll show you how. Then you better get it right!" Toph warned as she straightened herself up above the metal mound.

She lunged one hand into the air, then pounded it against the top, thrusting it back into the earth as if nothing was ever there. Aang stared and blinked, and wished he hadn't asked for a demonstration. That was no help at all.

Toph gripped the mound and pulled it back to her height again, and took a step back.

"Now, your turn." She said, crossing her arms.

Aang took a breath, and steadied himself in front of the metal. He set his palm against the side of the metal this time, and closed his eyes. He cloud feel vibrations within the metal, just as he could with earth. The two textures were very similar, but the metal was more precise. Even though earth was a head- on element, metal was tight, where as earth was loose. He held his breath, and raised a tight fist to the air, and thrust it against the top, hurling it back into the earth. A wide smiled spread across his face as he examined where the mound used to be.

"You did it!" Toph exclaimed throwing her hands into the air. "Now, do you think you can create you're own?" She challenged, as Aang quickly agreed.

"I think I've figured it out." He mumbled as he set his hands against the floor. He bit his lip, and pulled his hands up as far as he could. He groaned when he saw only a small pile of metal beneath him.

"It's alright, don't get too upset. Metal is a stubborn element, and for the first day of training you did great." Toph encouraged.

Aang smiled,"Thanks Toph." He headed towards the door, when Toph interrupted him.

"So, what's up with you and Katara lately?" She asked.

He stopped dead in his tracks. _She noticed? That means it's noticeable... And that means other people might have noticed too! _Aang thought. He felt like kicking himself.

"I'm just wondering, since you too barely talk or hang out with each other any more... Well, at least in front of other people." She explained, tilting her head.

Aang hadn't noticed that they haven't been hanging out as much, but now it was completely clear.

"It's nothing... Well, Roku and I were talking about things that.. involved her... And, it doesn't apply to any of us, right now... But it's taking me some time to get used to, so it might be a while until we are completely comfortable around each other again. That's it. No big deal." He forced a chuckle, and ran back down the hall.

---

"You still haven't told me where you were." Zuko brought up again.

Ursa sighed and stopped walking, and Zuko turned around.

"Well, for the last couple years, I was basically a prisoner.. A slave.. I was taken to a huge building, where these men would come to..." She shook her head,"Your friends were there. If you want to know ask them."

Zuko nodded already understanding, then his eyes sprung open,"You weren't-" He panicked.

"No, no. I was the one that would prepare meals for them.. The reason I didn't escape was because I couldn't be seen by others. If I was, the people of the Fire Nation would have turned me in to the other prison I broke out of.... Well, was taken from by those men." Ursa explained.

"So, Ozai did have you locked away..." Zuko trailed off.

She nodded,"He sent a team of his finest troops on a search... And eventually, they caught me." She explained, and continued walking again.

"But, why didn't he bring you back home instead of locking you up?" Zuko asked.

Ursa shook her head,"I really don't know, I would have thought he would want me back to punish me on his own, but I guess not..." They were both consumed in thoughts.

Zuko stopped them both again,"Mai was taken by them." He still cringed at the sound of her name. A feeling of want shot up his legs, and he trembled.

Ursa turned around, and gave him a concerned look,"I'm sorry, Zuko. I know we-"

"Tell me everything that happens to the girls that are taken there." He interrupted, as his hands curled into tight fists.

Ursa stared at him, wishing to avoid this conversation. "Zuko.." She started.

"Please just tell me. I need to know what's going to happen to her.. Or what already has.." He was on the verge of crying now. No, he could let anybody see him like this.

"Oh, there you guys are! I just had an idea for a new plan! You still have Mai's clothes right?" Sokka interrupted them as he threw himself out of the hall doors to the garden.

Ursa was relieved of the interruption, but Zuko was pained.

He nodded, struggling to ignore the sound of her name again.

"Well, if it still has her scent, you can use it to find her!" He exclaimed excitedly," I can't believe I didn't think of this before!"

"How would her scent help?" Zuko asked in a monotone.

"Remember that Jun lady? Yeah, her giant mole creature thing? If it finds Mai's scent, you can find her!" Sokka shouted, and clapped happily.

Zuko's mouth slowly fell open, and Ursa just stared at him in confusion.

"So, I'm guessing you're in?" Sokka asked, judging by the hopeful look on Zuko's face.

Zuko nodded, and they all returned to the main hall to explain the plan to the others.


	23. Chapter 23

Reviews chapt. 20-22 O.O

oceanlover14 -

Wow, I really hope you update soon! It is fantastic that Ursa is back, and i bet Zuko is really happy... but. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE FIND MAI! She is Zuko's better half. lol How is Katara going to take the news that she has to help Aang repopulate the air nation? Update soon :)

Yesh, Zuzu is now a bit happier xD lol Mai is his better half! man... I still don't have an idea for Katara's response to that yet O.O

gloomy maiko lover -

I still just Love this story you did a great,awsome,wonderful job as always and always will do xD so just can't wait to know what happens next and can't wait till you update hope you update soon and yay finally Ursa and Zuko reunited so again love this and I'll be R&R as soon as you update. xD xD xD

Thank you :] Yes, that reunion was fun to write XD 

bubblylady -

omg omg omg this so good you have to continue though. if everyone just forgot about mai because of ursa it would be horrible omg what if it was like ursa was captured but not killed because azula like saved her life before it could happen and then had her shut away.

Yes I will don't worry xD No no !!Zuzu can't forget!!! T.T 

KayB111 -

Please hurry! I know good chapters take time but I LOVE your story SO MUCH!! My favorite chapter so far is 11, with Sokka's letter.

~Kay

Haha thank you :D lol I like that chapter too xD

Kimjuni2 -

Woow just an another reunion, between mother and son, I love that, sokka gets a hug from me. Please let Mai be on that location.  
Anyway I love your chapter as always, I just can't wait till 21, so update soon again and I'll be R&R !

Yep, like mother like son... wait... XD Sokka gets a hug from me too x] Thanks :D

Nice again :D O-o that boy was going to do bad things to Mai, I hope Zuko is gonna be their in time, I don't want her to get hurt and Zuko is then going to be mad. And katara's worried about Aang, Suki must talk seriously with sokka. Make a reunion soon, update soon again and I'll be R&R !

Yes he was O.O And yes Zuzu will be very angry ;D Thanks x)

SuperSumer -

please dont let her be raped thats just very sad and unusual

Lol, I can't give the story away, but yes I agree 0.0 But, sad as it is, it's very usual T-T 

gloomy maiko lover -

I liked this but still painful to read I know I say that alot but it is but I still love this story even thou it is I just hope nothing happens to Mai I hope Zuko finds her before something happens to her or has something already happened to her and she doesn't even know it uhh so you did a great,awsome,wonderful job as always and always will do so can't wait to know what happens next and can't wait till you update hope you update soon so can't wait and I'll be R&R. :( xD :( xD :( xD :(

haha it's okay xD Yes, it's killing me I WANNA WRITE THE REUNION SO FREAKIN BAD!!! lol to be honest, I don't even know if that happened to her :SS

I am leaving that up to you readers ;] Thanks XD

I loved this as I will always love this story and I didn't think about June man why didn't I think about that and so anyway I love long chapter's wish you would keep them coming but if not that is ok with me I guess so anywa you did a great,awsome,wonderful,wonderful job as always and always will do so can't wait to know what happens next and can't wait till you update hope you update soon oh and sorry for not being patient you should know what I'm talking about haha oh and this is still painful to read but still love it and I hope Mai is alright and hope nothing bad has happened to her and poor Zuko she's driven him crazy because she's not with him and ya Sokka loves Suki and the baby oh and wonder what's going to happen with Aang and Katara so uhm again can't wait and youdid a great,awsome,wonderful,wonderful job. so I'll be R&R xD xD :( :( xD xD xD

Yep, I had Jun on my mind since Mai got taken.. But I wanted to wait until it felt like the right time to include her in my story :) lol I get you NOW. And also yes, Zuko is very crazy now 0.0 YAY FOR SUKKA LOVE!!! thanks xD

SuperSumer - 

that was a supremely obvvious choice i wish i had said good idea

Ehh I'm not sure if I caught that ... xD lol but the end sounds like a compliment, so THANKS! And haha if it isn't just laugh at me XD

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Alright guys I'm going to write this chapter fast, so don't get mad at me for spelling mistakes. I have to since my power just went out and my computer might die, and plus I keep hearing weird noises coming from my kitchen 0.0

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Chapter 23

"So, everybody in?" Sokka chirped as soon as he finished explaining the plan.

"I'm in." Suki shouted enthusiastically. The room went silent.

Sokka now wished he had told Suki about his plan earlier.

"Erm.. Well, alright.." Sokka played along. He had to tell her when there was no possible way for her to back out. Katara sent him a glare, and he cleared his throat before continuing.

"Alright, so I guess, we're all taking Appa..?" Sokka went on, peeking a glance at a non-caring Aang.

"Okay then, it's settled. Zuko when do you think we should leave?" Sokka asked.

Zuko shrugged into his chair,"As soon as possible." He said in a small voice. Suki, Ty Lee, and Katara gave him pitiful and concerned looks. Zuko hadn't let go of Mai's clothing since the night before, they were the only things holding him together. He ignored the stares and buried his face in her shirt, breathing in her scent. The aroma wrapped around his brain, and in that instant he felt whole again. He felt well. 

"Let's go." Aang instructed as he headed towards the garden. Zuko eventually fell out of his entrancement and followed the others.

"Zuko, you remember the way there, don't you?" Aang asked. He remembered the girl, but he was scratchy on the directions to find her.

Zuko simply nodded. He's been there two times before.

Aang uncomfortably rubbed the back of his neck. "So, Sokka said you just fly East of here, is that right?" He asked.

Zuko nodded again, he was in no mood for conversation. Aang pretty much caught this, and hurried up to Appa. He waited for everybody to get settled, and hesitated when he noticed Suki leaning against the side of Appa's saddle.

"Hey, Suki, can you help with my bag?" Sokka asked from the bottom of Appa.

"Oh, sure." Suki said cheerfully as she leaped off the side of the saddle. Aang cautiously watched Sokka's every move, and gently whipped the reins when Sokka gave him a wink. Suki gripped the handles of Sokka's bag and spun around.

"Alright now let's-" She froze when she saw Appa disappear into the clouds. "Why are they leaving?! They forgot us! How could they-"

"They didn't forget." Sokka interrupted, his head down.

Suki stared at him,"What are you saying?" She whispered.

He sighed,"I can't let you go on a mission like that. Right now you're very important to me and-"

"So before you got me pregnant I wasn't important to you?" She shot at him, her tone raising.

"No! I didn't mean that- that's not what I meant! I just want you to be safe, and you can't fight-"

"I can't help a friend because I'm pregnant?" She interrupted, now shouting.

"Yes! I mean, no!" He ran his fingers through his hair,"I don't want you to-"

"Just forget it Sokka." Suki interrupted one more time before marching off. Sokka let his head droop, he had just wanted to keep her safe, and now she was mad at him.

--

"I feel kind of bad about ditching Suki back there. She's not even showing yet, I don't think it would have been a big deal if she at least came." Katara murmured from the edge of Appa's saddle.

Ty Lee nodded,"I feel bad about it too." She mumbled.

"It's fine guys, if you think about it, Suki's going to be much safer this way." Aang chirped from Appa's head.

Katara was agitated, but she wasn't really in the mood to argue with Aang. They had kissed today. For the first time in a long time. Even though Aang had felt stiff and he barely loosened up to her, it was still something. And Katara could tell their kiss had made Aang much brighter then he had been in weeks.

Zuko just leaned over the saddle, watching tree after tree fly by.

"Is it just me, or is Appa flying extremely fast today?" Toph yelled. It was hard to notice her, since she had barely spoken and was huddled into the corner.

Katara peeked over the side,"Yeah, he is going kind of fast." She piped up.

Aang shrugged,"It's because he has had a lot of time to rest, and plus, the currents in the wind here are really quick and loose. It helps Appa go faster." He explained calmly.

Appa glided through the clouds, groaning with pleasure at the feel of air breezing through his fur. Momo had fallen asleep back at the palace.

Appa had gone so fast that before they knew it, they were already crossing the ocean. "I wish Appa had always gone this fast." Katara joked.

"I don't." Toph wailed from the corner.

Ty Lee and Katara chuckled. Aang squinted into the mist that was raising from the sea. He used water bending to clear it out of view, and began to see land.

"We're already almost there!" Aang twirped enthusiastically.

Zuko lifted his head out of Mai's clothing, and stared out at the beach getting closer and closer.

"Thank goodness." Toph gurgled, and crawled behind Aang.

Aang eventually felt close enough to pull Appa to a landing, and began to unload.

"Alright, all we need right now is Mai's clothing. Zuko do-"

"Yes." Zuko interrupted Aang.

Aang nodded, and turned towards the foggy forest. About a mile of walking, Aang began to shift uncomfortably.

"Zuko, are you sure this is the right way?" He asked.

Zuko nodded,"Yes." He replied quietly. He quickened his pace as the trail began to get more and more familiar. Thoughts of Mai were overwhelming him, and he couldn't stand it any more. He had come so close to finding her, so close to holding her again... And he failed. Again.

"I think I'm starting to remember this place." Katara called from behind the two as she began to hear loud music and yelling.

"So am I." Toph stated.

The small tavern came closer and closer, and Zuko gripped the handles on the doors. He slammed it open, causing everybody to freeze in their places. The only relaxed figure was the one of Jun's. Zuko groaned, feeling embarrassed having to come to her again.

"Good to see you again Prince Pouty... Or should I say Fire Lord?" She teased, downing another shot.

"I'm gonna start callin' you that." Toph joked, punching Zuko's arm. He ignored both of them.

"I need your help finding someone." Zuko said, skipping to the point again.

Jun snorted,"Again? You're really bad at keeping track of friends... Or whoever it is.."

Zuko shot his head down, and gritted his teeth.

"I didn't lose her. Not yet.. I- I mean, she was... She... Was taken.." He mumbled quietly.

"In my book that's losing someone." Jun said carelessly.

Zuko held his anger down by hunching his shoulders.

Jun finished one last drink, then carried herself away from the tables. "Alright, let's go." She instructed as she made her way past the bar.

Ty Lee turned to Katara,"I don't like her." She whispered.

"Just act like you do. She's the only one who can help us right now." Katara whispered back. Ty Lee sighed and nodded.

They made their way outside to Nyla, and both Ty Lee and Aang backed up. "Nyla won't hurt you. Unless, you know, I tell em' to." Jun said with a laugh.

Ty Lee forced a chuckle, and Aang awkwardly came forward.

"How's my little snoofy woofy doing? Awww yes, yes you are." Jun cooed to the beast. She patted his nose, and turned to Zuko.

"Alright, you basically have it down by now. Where's something with her scent?" She asked.

Zuko struggled to hand her Mai's clothing, they were the only things keeping him alive.

Jun set her clothing in front of Nyla's nose. She waited until it started searching for the scent, and turned back to Zuko.

"So, who we lookin' for any way?" She asked.

Zuko ignored her until he found words,"It doesn't matter."

Jun pretty much understood it was somebody important to him, since he looked worse than the last time they met. Zuko had said it was a her, so she guessed it was his girlfriend or something.

Nyla twitched with anticipation a few moments later, and Jun jumped on his back.

"Alright, jump on.. I mean, if you can all fit." Jun shouted.

Toph shoved everybody out of the way so she could squeeze next to Zuko, and Ty Lee sat behind her. Katara and Aang were in the back.

"Here, sit in front of me." Aang suggested, but Katara quickly shook her head,"No, no. It's alright."

Aang shrugged and turned back around. "Hold on to me, alright? And tell me right away if you start slipping." Katara nodded, and nuzzled into Aang's back.

Nyla sped through the trees, following the clear scent. A couple minutes later, and Zuko began to feel anxious. "Are we getting close?" Zuko asked.

"I don't know. Once Nyla gets twitchier I'll stop and make sure he's not confused." Jun explained as Nyla thrashed through the forest. The beast began to slow, and sniffing the floor. It walked in circles for a couple moments, and Zuko desperately hoped it wouldn't fall to the floor like last time. Nyla's tail rose high above it's head, and it stopped moving.

NO! Zuko's head screamed. This wasn't happening. It wasn't. He was dreaming. He had to be. This whole thing was one big nightmare, and Mai was just sleeping peacefully next to him.

"Hmm... This is strange." Jun mumbled as she patted Nyla's head. His head moved back and forth.

"What's it doing?" Toph asked after feeling the odd vibrations.

"Nyla can't find a path... Which means, there's more than one. " Jun explained," And that means, one path is real, and one is a trap." She turned around to face Zuko.

"We should split up, I'll call Appa and follow one trail, and the others can go with Jun on the other trail." Aang explained, pulling out his whistle.

"I'm going with Zuko!" Toph yelled, attaching her arms around him. The group was already used to Toph's obsession with Zuko, and just ignored her.

Aang blew as hard as he could into his bison whistle, as Ty Lee and Katara jumped off of Nyla.

"Go!" Jun commanded, and Nyla leaped into the brush.

_____________________________________________________

I didn't really know if Nyla was a girl or a boy, so I just guessed boy xD

Anyways, review!!! ;D


	24. Chapter 24

Reviews on next chapt. ;]

I'm too eager not to write this O.O

___________________________

**Chapter 24**

"So, princess isn't your girlfriend?" Jun taunted.

Zuko blinked,"What?"

"That girl who always wears blue, and-"

"No! She isn't. She's a friend." Zuko cut her off, annoyed.

"Well I figured.. Unless you were two-timing." Jun went on. Toph busted into laughter.

"I wouldn't do that to Mai!" He shot back, now yelling. Zuko couldn't believe he had just said her name with out even trying.

"Okay, okay, yeesh. You fire benders." Jun said with a laugh. They carried on, until Jun arrubtly slowed down.

"Whoah!" Jun shouted hauling Nyla to a stop. His tail thrashed and his whiskers trembled.

"That means we're close, right?" Zuko asked, a hint of eagerness in his tone.

Jun shook her head,"No. When we're close, Nyla just gets twitchy. He gets like _this _when we are already there."

Zuko's eyes widened with excitement, but as soon as it came it left. "But... There isn't anything here..."

"Yes there is." Toph exclaimed, jumping to her feet. She placed her hand on the ground firmly. "There are three long metal hallways that are connected... there." Toph continued as she pin pointed the location. She pointed exactly where it ended, which was straight ahead. Zuko began running but stopped as soon as he realized he couldn't do anything with out Toph's help.

"Can you-"

"Hold on." Toph interrupted, cracking her knuckles. She then pounded one foot into the earth, creating a huge whole. She continued until the hole was big enough to fit inside of.

"Come on." She instructed to Zuko.

Zuko turned to Jun.

"Thanks, again." He thanked quickly.

"No problem. Nyla's the one who did all the work." She paused to stroke Nyla's head affectionately,"Well, the next time you lose someone, you know where to find me." And with that, Jun was gone.

___

The deeper Toph lead them into the ground, the more thoughts escaped into Zuko's already filled mind. He set his hands on his temples, trying to force them away, but this seemed to make things worse. _She has to be here. I can feel it. She's here. We'll be together again, soon. _His head encouraged. He clenched his fists, trying to remain silent. His thoughts seemed to clear away as soon as Toph ran into him.

"You go down that way," She instructed, pointing into the next dark tunnel,"I'll go down this one." Zuko nodded as Toph departed, and ran as fast as he possibly could down the path. _She's here. She's here. She's closer. She's with me. Here she is. She's here, she's here. Mai's here . Mai, Mai, Mai Mai, Mai, Mai.... _Her name wouldn't stop flowing through his head. Zuko's automatic response was pain, but the more he thought of her name, the calmer he became.

"MAI!!!!'' Zuko screamed at the top of his lungs as soon as he couldn't contain himself. He screamed her name again, and then once more. He didn't care if anybody heard. If anybody decided to get in his way of Mai, _his_ Mai, he would end them. Right then and there. He ran his fingers along the cold, metal walls, and froze as soon as he felt a strange texture. It felt like, a knob. His eyes widened, and he swung the door open.

"MA-" Zuko yelled. His face fell as he realized he was still alone. He blinked away hot tears and ran to the next door, filled with hope again.

But, he was still alone. He repeated this over and over, bursting through every door way, until there was only one left.

"Mai.... Mai...Mai.. please...Mai..." Zuko wailed unintentionally. He slowly took a hold of the metal handles, and gathered himself together to see her again.

____

Mai stared out the dusty window. Every beam of light was blocked by clouds, and her cell was pitch black. She let her head fall, and stared at the puddle of tears under her.

_Where am I? _She thought. _Who am I? Why is it so dark... everywhere... _Mai thought. Her eyes closed, waiting for a glimpse of sunlight. But it never came.

The silence of the cell was overwhelming, but it was better than when there _was _noise. Mai shuddered against the wall. She let her senses drown in the silence, and relaxed into the wall. She was so at ease, so relaxed, and looked so peaceful. But, her lazy, exhausted expression soon turned to hate and fear as the door began to creek open.

She backed into the wall as fingers began to reveal themselves. She stared at the coming figure, until it was completely revealed. It was a boy. Mai muttered a sound of pain under her breath. She wasn't surprised to see a boy, but what surprised her was his expression. She couldn't put a finger on his look. It was a mix of several emotions.

Pain, lust, love, anger, sadness, joy... everything. Mai's eyes searched him, trying to point out any weapons, but there were none. Her scowl had deepened as he strode up to her.

He kept moaning a word. _Mai.__ What does that mean_? She thought. As he got closer to her, Mai began to curl into the wall, throwing her head down automatically.

"G-go." She stuttered. His eyes only widened more at the sound of her voice. It was cracked and wavered, as if she was crying. He reached his hand out to meet her own.

"NO!" She screamed, and writhed back from him, throwing her back into the wall. Mai's breathing was rough and hard. His fingers trembled the closer it got to her skin.

"PLEASE! NO N- NO!" She shrieked. Eventually, he couldn't contain himself. He needed her. He set his hand against her cheek, and waited until she at least glanced at him to speak.

"Mai... Look at me.." He said softly, cupping her chin in his hand. She swallowed hard, and glared up at him.

"I'm not going to hurt you... I'm going to get you out of here, okay? Do you... I'm... You don't... Remember me?" He mumbled quietly.

Mai just stared at him, and the more he spoke, the softer her features became. She noticed he was different from the others. His voice wasn't frightening like there's. His voice was sincere, and soft. She shook her head.

"No." She whispered, still shaking her head.

His eyes searched her face, and he bit down on his lower lip hard. She watched small drips of blood trickle down his chin. _Why is he hurting himself? _Mai wondered.

The boy slowly and cautiously ran his hands up and down her face, tracing every feature with his thumb.

He later snapped his fingers, and a small flame flickered in his palm. Mai whimpered and tried to squirm away, but his firm grip prevented her from turning.

"Shh, it's alright. Look, it's not touching you." He spoke softly, barely a whisper. His tight grip of her arm loosened, and stroked freely up her side. Mai stared at the fire, until the stare she felt on her was beginning to make her nervous. She peeked up at him, and was immediately entranced by something in his eyes. It shimmered and called out to her. It made her feel... alive. He watched her every move with anticipation, and stared into her eyes intently.

"You're... Y- you're... you.." Mai trailed off, her eyes frozen on the left side of his face. His skin was torn, and burned red. She hadn't noticed her hand reaching up to touch his scar. She hesitated just as he fingers brushed against his skin. He quickly, yet gently, took her hand in his own and set it against his cheek. He let his eyes close.

"Zu... " Mai started, and his head shot up. He gently pressed her against the wall, but immediately pulled her back again as he felt her stiffen.

"You remember?!" He yelled in a whisper.

She shook her head slowly,"No..." She moaned, and set both hands on the side of his face. But, there was something about him she wanted. She wanted to feel him. She wanted to kiss him. No, she couldn't. She didn't even know him. For all she knew, he could be one of them. She shook that thought away. No, this boy was different. He wasn't trying to harm her in any way.

And, he wanted to kiss her as well. But he knew, if he tried to it would scare her. And at the moment, just being in her arms was good enough for him. He rested his head on the wall next to her. They stayed this way for a long time, until Mai couldn't take it. She wanted to know him. He was there, in her memory.. Somewhere, and she wanted desperately to find him. Tears drained from her eyes again, she hadn't even noticed she had stopped crying. Ever since she arrived, she _hadn't _stopped crying. The tears had never ended. But, somehow, _he _had made her stop crying. He heard her sniff, and lifted his head from the wall.

"Don't cry. It's alright now, I'm here." He gently cooed, wrapping his arms back around her. For some reason, this comforted her. He waited until Mai stopped crying again, then took a step back.

"Lean your head down, so I don't hurt you." He instructed softly, and she quickly complied.

A small flame flickered back into his palm, and he smashed it in a perfect line against the metal chains that trapped Mai to the wall.

She ran into him, wrapping her arms around his back, and let her tears stain into his shirt. He let tears fall as well, and they stayed like this for a while. Crying into each other. Mai didn't understand any of this, she didn't even know who this boy was, but she loved and missed him. He pulled away, and stared into her heavy, wet eyes.

A small smile started to shape its way onto his dry lips,"Let's get you out of here."


	25. Chapter 25

**Reviews chapt. 23-24**

**Sorry if I miss any ':D**

___________________

**oceanlover14**** -**

Oh thank the LORD! I was starting to think he would never find Mai! Update soon please! And what about Aang and Appa, they are walking in to a trap arent they? Update ASAP !

**:D I can't tell you... it would ruin the story.. XD XD **

**KayB111**** -**

OMG! something along the lines of amnesia but, but how?

**Yep, keep reading and find out xD**

**... **

**KayB111 -**

Epic FAIL Sokka! Heh. *V8 slaps Sokka*

**Yup, Sokka pretty much blew it T-T xD**

**bubblylady**** -**

omg i hate those men whoever they are. what did they do to her? shes so ... scared. and its MAI! and she doesnt really remember zuko. this is a really good story even if mai is different right now. and im glad she was found. gosh i feel like taking her knives and stabbing all the bad men for them. update soon please. por favor please en francais

**Me too T-T Poor Mai :[ haha so do I x]. thank you xDD**

**bubblylady -**

nyla is a girl im pretty sure good story. wow a trap trail and i can so see suki mad and sokka for letting them leave withot her or sokka. id be all gr too. he could have told but this was pretty much a sokka thing. nice job especially since you rushed.

Oh well xD Yesh, Sokka is very... different.. XD And thanks again ^^

**gloomy maiko lover**** -**

oh my God this was so sad and dramatic and painful it made me want to cry like crazy Mai doesn't remember Zuko but then she does this was so painful to read god I want to cry but nothing comes out so I'm crying inside oh so much pain so sad uh I love this story even though it is so painful uh love this so you did a great,awsome,wonderful,wonderful job as always and always will do so can't wait to know what happens next and can't wait till you update hope you update soon love this more and more everytime I read a new chapter even though so painful so can't wait and again wonderful job so sad and I'll be R&R so can't wait xD :( xD :( xD :( xD wonderful job. :( :( xD xD

**I can't wait to write when everything is back to normal T-T lol :D thank you X]**

**gloomy maiko lover -**

Loved this as I always will so you did a great,awsome,wonderful,wonderful job as always and always will do so can't wait to know what happens next and can't wait till you update hope you update soon and I saw no misspelling so yay for you haha and what were the noises in your kitchen it sounds scary haha oh and ya I don't know if Nyla is a girl or a boy but the name to me sound's like a girl's name but the beast look's like a boy but it could be a girl I don't know so anyway again wonderful job and can't wait still painful to read and hope Mai is alright so I'll be R&R love this story xD xD XD

**Thanks :D lol good xD idk! it sounded like some dude was throwing a big bucket of forks against a window or something lol xDD**

**can go either way I guess x]**

**Kimjuni2**** -**

Whoo and Zuko is getting close at last as he didn't take the trap way. Oeh I know there comes a reunion, i hope ^-^. And June gladly helps, she rocks !  
Can't wait again, I'll be R&R by your next Update, good luck !

**Yep he did :D ... keep reading xD she does rock :D I wish they put more of her in the series T.T Thanks :)**

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Chapter 25**

Zuko took Mai by the arm to steer her away from her cell. She limped behind him for a brief moment before crashing onto her knees. Zuko stared at her as his mind scolded him for being so stupid. "I'm sorry.." He muttered, lifting her back up by her waist. He cradled her in his arms, as a father would to his newborn child. He began to realize the only reason Mai had crashed into him earlier was because she couldn't support her own weight any more. He hurried down the dark halls again, hoping to meet Toph. But of course, she hadn't yet returned. "Toph?" Zuko called out in a whisper. No reply. He groaned in irritation. The only thing he wanted to do was get Mai home, not go searching for where ever Toph wandered off to. He took a couple steps into the next dark tunnel. "Toph?" He whispered again, this time a bit louder. He groaned again.

"Who are you looking for...?" Asked the worn out voice of Mai from under him.

"Don't worry about it, just sleep, love." He reassured her. Something about that struck Mai, something about what Zuko said was familiar. But she was too tired to think about it. For some reason, she trusted him enough to fall asleep in his arms. She knew _he_ wouldn't take advantage of her.

Zuko hurried down the path, sometimes calling Toph's name. _Where is she? _His thoughts stormed in his head.

"I'm thirsty." Came Mai's voice again. Just because of this, Zuko had to blink back tears.

"I know, as soon as we get out of here I'll get you anything you want." Zuko encouraged, trying to keep her from passing out. A couple more minutes passed, and finally, Zuko could see the tunnel beginning to lighten. He picked up his speed, and he curled Mai farther into him.

"Just a little farther." He whispered into her hair.

"I'm hungry." She moaned. Zuko ground his teeth together. "Hang in there." He grunted, leaping into the harsh sunlight.

"To-" He was arubtly interrupted by two hands grabbing him from behind. One of the hands slammed over his mouth. Zuko shook his head, still not used to the sudden change. The more he stared, the more he could see the features of Toph holding a finger to her lips.

"What are you doing?!" He shouted against her hand. She pulled back.

"SHH!" She hissed through clenched teeth.

"What's going on?" Zuko asked in a whisper.

"It's Aang Katara and Ty Lee, they've been captured!" Toph exclaimed.

"What?! How! By who? Where are they? Are they okay?!" Zuko stammered.

"They should be fine, I mean, they're not dead.. For now, at least. It's Azula. This whole thing was a set up. She hid Mai here because she knew about that bounty hunter, and she knew you'd eventually turn to her again. And you did. And now she has Aang!" Toph explained in a harsh tone.

"Why are you acting like this is my fault?!" Zuko shot at her.

"Because it is!" Toph shot back.

"What was I suppose to do?! Just sit around and let Mai get -" He cut himself off. He still couldn't say it.

"Why doesn't Aang fight Azula?! He can take her!" Zuko shouted in a whisper, changing the subject.

"Because, he's unconscious! As soon as they got off of Appa, she hit him! It was enough to knock him out, but it means she's trying to keep him alive for some reason... Or else, she would have just shot him and ended it right then and there." She continued.

"How do you know all this?" Zuko wondered aloud.

"I was there. I didn't help because I couldn't get to them in time, I was feeling the whole thing from one of the cells." Toph went on.

Zuko rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand.

"How did she get Ty Lee and Katara?" He asked.

"Katara went to help Aang as soon as she heard something, but she didn't know they were getting attacked. That's when Azula got her as well. Exact same story for Ty Lee. " Toph said, turning her head towards Mai, who was on the verge of unconsciousness. "You found her!" Toph exclaimed, unable to keep her voice down.

Zuko nodded, failing to hold down a huge grin despite all that was going on. "She's hungry and thirsty." He added glumly, his smile fading.

Toph tilted her head,"She's probably starving. I doubt places like this give their prisoners meals." Zuko poked his head out from the corner of the wall they were hiding behind to check if Azula was there. She wasn't. He took Toph by the hand and lead them through the forest. "Maybe I should be the leader, so we don't get lost." Toph whispered showing a hint of sarcasm. Toph hurried through the trees, and pulled Zuko to a stop before they got too close to where Azula attacked.

"Are you sure you can take her? She just took out the _avatar_ with a _rock._" Toph asked.

"Yes, are you sure you can take me, Zuzu?" Came a taunting voice from behind. He spun around, and instinctively struck a fighting stance. But, Azula wasn't there. He searched the woods for a sign, but it was just the three of them.

"Did you hear that?" Zuko whispered.

Toph nodded,"Yeah, but I can't feel Azula anywhere."

They were quiet for a moment, before Zuko flung himself in front of Toph. "I can't let Mai get hurt again, I need to leave her here with you." He forced out the words no matter how much it pained him to leave Mai again. He leaned down to set Mai on the floor, and paused when he felt her whimper in protest.

"Don't go." She whispered against him. He sighed. Zuko didn't want to go. He wanted to stay here, and help Mai regain her memory. So, he could show her how he feels. How he always have felt.

"I'll be back soon." He whispered, weighing the options of how Mai would react if he chose to kiss her. He stared into her eyes. Despite her now pail skin, her eyes still shimmered the way they always had. He set a hand on her cheek. What if he didn't come back? With that thought in mind, he couldn't contain himself. He slammed his mouth against hers, pulling her into him by her shoulders. Mai was still too shocked to react. His tongue seeped out of his mouth, begging for entrance so he could taste her again. Her mouth parted a bit, and his tongue thrust deep into her mouth. He wrapped her arms behind his neck, which she used to do on her own. Zuko's head was spinning, her taste, her scent, her touch, was overwhelming his senses. He peeked an eye open to see her expression, which was perplexed. He was thrilled to see her eyes had closed. He needed to show her how he felt. He didn't care if Toph was there, or even Azula. He loved her, and he wanted her. Now. His hands ran down her arms, dragging down the sleeves of her shirt with them.

"Zuko!" Toph growled. He blinked his vision back, and pulled away. His breathing was still rough and quick. _What am I doing? _The thought rang inside his head. He had probably scared Mai. "I'm sorry!" He whispered in a rush, setting a hand on her shoulder. Mai remained still, and just stared at him. _Damn it__! _His mind scolded.

"I just missed you and I- I don't know I just- I needed you- I-"

"How about you do that later! Because right now, there is a psycho maniac chucking rocks at peoples heads and who could at any minute shoot the crap out of us!" Toph hissed, her voice raising. Zuko's mouth twitched, but he shook off anger. He was used to Toph's sarcasm by now. He stood up to leave, but turned around one more time. "Just, please... Keep her safe." He whispered to Toph. She ignored the cuteness of his tone. "Alright, alright. Now go be a good boy and beat up your sister." She said in a childlike voice. He smiled, and turned into the brush.

Zuko continued into the forest, the deeper he got, the more thoughts seemed to invade his mind. _Mai. _A mixture of love and pity churned in his stomach. She was dehydrated, and starving. And he couldn't do anything about it. _How did Azula even break out of the institution? _He thought. Zuko didn't even _want _to began to wonder how much damage was caused, and how much it would cost to repair it. He groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Oh, there you are, Zuzu." Zuko heard Azula's taunting voice again. He spun to where he heard it, but he was still alone.

"Show yourself!" He commanded. She never did.

"I don't have to listen to you. Free country." Azula said with a sly chuckle. He automatically threw an arm over his head, incase she were preparing to ambush him the way she ambushed the others.

"Not for you it isn't!" He shouted,"Now, show yourself!"

He heard an irritated groan from above. "Fine." Azula grumbled.

She leaped down from a branch of a nearby tree. Zuko stared at her in confusion. Her hair was pulled back into a simple pony tail. And instead of her familiar attire, she was wearing shorts and a shirt with no connecting straps. "What's with you?" He asked.

She rolled her eyes,"Isn't it obvious? If I come off as a simple commoner, nobody will suspect anything. But if I wear my... _regular_ clothes, people will get suspicious." Azula explained. Zuko began to grow furious.

"Why did you do this to Mai?! Even for you, that was heartless! Do you know how hard it was for me to see her in _chains?! _She's starving! She hasn't eaten in days! Why would you just hand her over to those men?! You knew what they'd do to her! Why-"

"Zuko, Mai and I aren't friends any more. She chose you over me, which means I honestly don't care what happens to her." Azula went on, tilting her head towards the sky.

"Still! You used to be friends, and you go and give her to those... Those _monsters_! What the hell is wrong with you?! You're sick! How could you watch-"

"How about you let _me _ask _you _a question. Who is watching over your country?" Azula asked, taking a step closer.

Zuko's eyes widened. _Shit..._He hadn't left anybody in charge. He also hadn't left an exclamation to the people about his absence.

"That's right, nobody. Which means any assassin or thief could do what ever they want to your people, couldn't they?" She giggled,"Your people are probably going to question their respect for you if thieves bang on their door every minute commanding for their money. And if the people have no money, they'll just kill them. That's outta make some people pretty angry, don't you agree?" She hesitated,"I wouldn't be surprise if they overthrow you as soon as you return."

"Shut it Azula. My people trust me. Every nation has thieves, and we all deal with it. They won't overthrow my family just because of robbery." Zuko shot at her. He wouldn't back down.

"Your family? You mean Mai. You honestly think she'll survive? Being locked away in a dark cell for months with out food..." She hesitated, a smile curving onto her lips,"Let's just hope she had a big meal before she was captured."

"Quiet! She's okay now! I have her again! And it's not only Mai in my family. It's also friends, _and _Ursa." Zuko yelled.

"Oh, finally found her. Took you guys long enough." Azula said, crossing her arms. "Speaking of friends, that's the reason you're following me, isn't it?" She challenged. Zuko remained quiet. She shrugged,"Go ahead and take Ty Lee and the water bender. Their useless." Azula said, leaping back into the branches. A moment later, and two unconscious bodies hurled onto the floor in front of him. He hurried and gathered them both into his arms, preparing to make an escape. Azula laughed to herself,"Figures you wouldn't stay and fight." Zuko struggled to ignore her taunting. Aang would have to wait. Right now, he needed to help who he _can _still save. He knew Aang would be okay, he's a strong, smart kid. Not to mention, the avatar. He ran back through the trees, searching for Toph and Mai.

--

"Then why did you let him kiss you?" Toph asked, leaning against the dome of earth she formed around them.

"I don't know..." Mai said, hugging herself to her knees. Toph felt bad for making her talk, and rarely asked questions.

"I hope you remember. Zuko's gone insane over you." Toph remarked, crossing her legs. Mai looked up,"He has?"

Toph nodded,"Yep. You should of seen him. His mood kind of went in a cycle. Angry, depressed, confused, depressed, angry... repeat."

Mai sighed and set her head back onto her knees. She slammed her eyes shut, trying to force back memories. There was nothing, just a big black space in the back of her head. She needed to remember. She wanted to. She needed to remember, for Zuko... _Zuko..._His name was familiar to her.

"I kind of... wanted to..." She added.

Toph stared at her,"Wanted to what?" She asked.

"Kiss him. I don't know why... but I did.." Mai's voice cracked, and she coughed.

"You shouldn't talk. I kind of promised Zuko I would take care of you, and that means you can't lose your voice." Toph smiled,"I know why you like him so much."

Mai shot her head up,"What do you mean?" She asked, ignoring Toph's warning to keep quiet. Her face began to redden.

"Because, he's really a nice guy. He may not always come off that way, but inside, he's really sweet and compassionate. I know sometimes he can look like a total moron, but it's usually when he's trying to do something nice for someone. And, you're just really lucky to have somebody like him. Even if you don't remember." Toph explained, letting her eyes close.

"I know he is... so far... and I don't like him like that." She lied, hiding her face back in her knees.

"I can tell you're lying. Plus, if you didn't like him you wouldn't of made out with him like 5 minutes ago." Toph said, crossing her arms.

Mai was blushing so hard it felt like her face was going to explode. "We weren't making out. Or.. At least I wasn't.. I just let him, since at the moment there was no other way to repay him for his services." She explained, flustered.

Toph smiled as she began to hear hints of the old Mai returning.

"Oh please, your heart was beating so hard I was afraid you were having a stroke." Toph laughed as Mai buried her face into her knees once more.

"Alright, now seriously. No more talking for you." Toph instructed as her laughter faded.

A couple moments passed, and Toph began to lower the dome of earth that hid them from the outside world. She hoped it was really Zuko that she felt coming... And not someone else. "Zuko?" She called out before the dome was completely lowered.

"I need your help." Zuko grunted, struggling to hold up Katara and Ty Lee.

"Who are they? Is it Ty Lee and Katara?" She asked.

Zuko nodded,"You take one." He said, throwing Katara onto her.

"Oof!" Toph grunted as she face-planted into the earth.

She dusted herself off, and pulled Katara by her arms. "What's.." Toph trailed off, feeling a plastic material in Katara's pocket. Zuko picked it up and examined it, and blinked in realization."It's Appa's whistle."

"Good, because I am _not _carrying her all the way back to the Fire Nation, you hear me?" Toph hesitated,"Where is Aang?" She asked realizing his absence.

"Azula wouldn't hand him over. And I needed to rescue these two while I still could." Zuko said, lifting the whistle to his lips. He blew as hard as he could, and groaned as it made no sound. "Great. Broken." He muttered.

"No it isn't. That's what I thought at first too, but Appa can hear it, miraculously." Toph explained, waiting for Appa's arrival. They were quickly greeted by a huge thump, that caused Mai to jump back in terror. Zuko face-palmed his forehead, forgetting Mai had no idea who Appa was.

"Put these two onto Appa." Zuko instructed, throwing Ty Lee on top of Toph. She fell again.

He hurried to Mai's side. "It's alright. He won't hurt you, he's a friend of ours." Zuko explained quickly, lifting her into his arms. Mai tried to ignore Toph's smirk as they passed her to get onto Appa. She also tried to hold down her pounding heart. Toph used earth bending as gently as she could to lift Ty Lee and Katara onto Appa's saddle. As soon as they were boarded, they quickly headed to the nearest market for food.

Mai leaned against Zuko, and held onto him for dear life. She still had no idea what the creature was, or if she could trust it. They continued flying until Zuko could see a city beginning to get closer and closer. "We can get food there." Zuko said, lowering Appa.

"What city is it?" Toph asked, leaning over the side. Zuko squinted,"It looks like...Gaoling." He trailed. Toph almost choked.

"W-wait. We don't have to go there. There are plenty of other towns to get food." She stuttered, beginning to panic.

"Mai's starving. We need to stop here." Zuko stated, annoyed.

Toph fiddled with her fingers, hoping desperately not to run into her mother on their trip.


	26. Chapter 26

Reviews on next chappie, like always ;D

________________________________

**Chapter 26**

Zuko lowered Appa until he nestled into the long grass below them. Zuko leaped off of the side, Mai in his arms. Toph shortly followed, though she seemed hesitant.

"What's wrong?" Zuko asked.

She shook it off,"It's nothing. But, do you think it will be okay to just leave them here?" Toph wondered, turning back to face Appa. Zuko looked up, weighing his options. He shrugged,"Maybe you should stay here and watch them." Zuko suggested, and turned back to Gaoling. He began to realize the town was getting closer rather quickly. He also hadn't noticed he had started sprinting. He slowed down at the entrance to catch his breath, then immediately searched for a market. He heard a soft moan escape from Mai's lips.

"I'm getting you water right now, alright?" Zuko reassured softly, not looking down from the busy streets. He bit his lip,"Here." He sat Mai down on a bench next to a market place. Her eyes searched his face,"Wh-where are you going?" Her voice rose a bit. He set a finger over her lips. "Don't speak. Just rest. I'll be right over there." Zuko explained, pointing his other finger behind him towards the market. Mai nodded hesitantly, and Zuko pecked her once on the forehead before departing. He rushed his way across the pavement, almost tripping over his steps.

"W- water, and whatever food you have." Zuko stammered. The merchant's eyebrows rose as Zuko set a bag of silver pieces in front of her.

"Alright..." The girl trailed, still surprised. She shook her head, and handed him a jug of water.

"More than this, if it isn't too troublesome." He asked in a small voice, tilting his head. The girl blinked at his expression and blushed, grabbing a larger jug of water.

"No p-problem. H-here." She mumbled, and handed the water to him. "And for food, w-we have a erm.. fresh fruit s-salads." She stuttered, her eyes searching the streets awkwardly. Zuko smiled, completely oblivious to any of this. "That will be great."

The girl nodded, and brushed stray hairs from her face. Her fingers trembled as she fumbled with the food under the counter. She popped back up in front of him, this time holding a bowl of fruit salad with a lid. "H-here." She spat out, forcing a smile. "Thank you." Zuko thanked, and turned back to Mai. His smile dropped immediately when he saw a man, most likely in his twenties, hovering in front of her. His teeth clenched together, and his eyes waited for Mai to look away from the floor. As soon as she looked up, he saw it in her eyes again. _Fear. _She was afraid of this man. Zuko's mouth set in a deep line, and he lunged up to them. Mai blinked at his sudden presence. The man spun around, and gave him a perplexed expression. Zuko grabbed him by the arms and hurled him into the wall behind him. The two were soon surrounded by enthralled children, cheering men, and angry women. Zuko ignored them.

He quickly turned to Mai, and set his hands on her shoulders,"Who was he?" Zuko asked, his tone so serious Mai could feel shivers running down her spine. She shot her head down. "No one." She whispered.

"Please, tell me the truth." He asked setting one hand on her cheek. "I know you well enough to know when you're lying." Zuko tried to sound apologetic despite how furious he was. Mai shook her head. "He's... _him._" That last word made Zuko tremble with anger. He knew exactly what she had meant by 'him.'

He squeezed his fingers to his palms, and turned back around to the monster. The man lifted himself from the shards of stone building that now surrounded him, and dusted himself off. "What the hell is your problem?!" The man shot at Zuko. He didn't reply. Zuko wouldn't speak. There was no use wasting his breath on a dead man. Mai's eyes darted from one man to the other cautiously. The man then turned to Mai, and a small smile curved onto his lips.

"Sweetheart, is this a friend of yours?" He asked in a playful tone. Zuko ground his teeth together as his eyes slammed shut. A second passed, which to Zuko had felt like forever. After another second, everything inside of him was gone. He was nothing but anger in human form. Zuko showed a full set of teeth, and snarled at him. It reminded Mai of an animal. Another second, and Zuko was charging after him, gathering flames on both hands. He gripped a hand around the man's neck, and he choked in response. He flung him against the wall until the back of his shirt was stained with blood. Zuko wasn't finished yet. He wasn't just going to _kill _him. That was too nice. He would make him die of pain. Zuko wouldn't feel satisfied until this man died of torture. The people of the streets hurried into their homes, and some went to find guards. Zuko took two handfuls of the mans hair and ripped them from his head, causing him to scream with agony. Mai stared at him. She didn't know Zuko could be so scary. She swallowed and hid her face in her lap, trying to mute out the man's screams. Zuko hurled around, and searched for a piece of building with a sharp edge. As soon as he found one, he forcefully shoved it into the side of his head, causing the man to scream even louder. It was so loud, Zuko couldn't even hear any more. All he could hear was a ringing inside of his head. A few moments later, and the screams faded. It was over.

Zuko had killed a man.

--

"Suki, come on." Sokka requested playfully, grabbing Suki from behind. She shook her head, failing to hold in a giggle. "See! You aren't mad at me. Now come here." Suki pulled herself away from him, and set a hand in the crook of his neck. "I might now be angry at you anymore, but I am upset. And, even if I wasn't... I don't think it's safe if we... you know... While I'm pregnant." She explained, rubbing her arm. Her face reddened.

Sokka sighed,"What can happen? It's inside of you, and you're protecting it." He said, setting a hand over her lower stomach.

"Well, I guess you're right... But not right now." Suki said, her smile returning. Sokka frowned.

"Why not?" He pleaded.

"Because I feel like I have to throw up. And then, I'll be hungry again. So get cooking." Suki explained, patting his head. He groaned, and dragged himself out of bed.

--

Toph yawned,''What is taking them so long..." She wondered out loud. She was just about asleep, when she heard a groan in front of her. Her eyes sprung open,"Ty Lee, Katara?" She asked hopefully.

"It's Katara." Katara grunted, lifting herself up. "What happened?" She moaned as she set her hand over her head. She jolted in pain as her fingers ran over her wound. "Be careful! Azula hit you pretty hard." Toph warned, sitting up. Katara groaned,"It was Azula..." She paused,"Is Aang awake yet-" She stopped as soon as she realized it was only the three of them. "Where's Aang?!" She yelled.

"Keep it down! Zuko couldn't get him. But, he'll be alright. He had to get you and Ty Lee out alive while he still could, and that meant leaving Aang behind." Toph explained. Katara's mouth parted, and she slowly shook her head. She swallowed hard.

"Don't freak out, he'll be fine." Toph reassured as soon as she felt Katara's heart rate quicken. She wrapped her arms around herself,"What if she shoots him?!"

"Settle down, if she wanted to kill Aang, she would have done it before Zuko started chasing after her." Toph said, becoming annoyed. Katara eased into Appa's saddle.

"That's true... I guess that makes me feel a little bit better." Katara confessed. She rubbed the back of her neck,"Where's Zuko..." She gasped,"Did he find Mai?! Where-"

Toph interrupted her with a nod,"Yep, they're getting food and water right now, actually.... I'm starting to get worried, it shouldn't take half an hour to pick up a meal and some water..." She trailed off, staring into the city.

Katara sighed with relief,"I'm glad about the first part.... Think we should go check on them?" She suggested. Toph nodded and jumped off of Appa. "Think you can walk?" Toph called. Katara parted her mouth to the side." I think so..." She mumbled, crawling down the side of Appa. There was a small limp in her step, though she could walk fine. "Which way did they go?" Katara asked. Toph shrugged,"There isn't anybody here... That's odd... I can only feel minor vibrations, but they're coming from that way..." She pondered, leading her and Katara down the road. Both Toph and Katara came to a dead stop when they saw him. He was leaning over Mai, his shoulders drooped. He let his head fall into the crook of her neck. There were streams of water falling down Mai's arm on the side where Zuko was resting. It looked like he was crying. It looked like they both were crying. There were stains of blood that ran down Zuko's clothing. Katara's eyes wandered to the other scene, and gasped in shock at the disturbing sight. She threw her hands over her eyes, trying to block away the image of the man. Her chin quivered,_What happened?! _She thought. Katara could still remember the features of the body, shards of glass and concrete sticking out here and there, blood dripping from the sides of his head. She shuddered. Zuko was moaning something to Mai that neither Toph nor Katara could make out. Katara shot her stare at Mai, trying to shake away the horrifying image. Mai had her share of cuts and bruises that ran down her legs and arms, probably from the prison she was being held at. They weren't fresh, which made Katara feel slightly better knowing she wasn't really involved in the fight. Toph took a deep breath, daring to speak to Zuko.

"Zuko." Toph started. She waited for him to react, but he didn't move. "What _happened?_" She asked. He shook his head, and buried his face deeper into Mai's neck. Zuko was disgusted with himself. How could he have _murdered _someone? No matter who it was, it was murder. How could he explain this to anyone? To Aang? He wouldn't even kill a fly. To _Iroh_? Zuko wished he could take everything back. But at the same time, he didn't. There was so much anger that had built up inside of him over the years, and now, he felt more free of it than he has ever felt. He hadn't even felt more free of anger now than he did at his coronation. He wrapped his arms around Mai's body as far as they would go, and she curled into him. He parted his lips against her skin, gently sucking on her neck. Mai shivered. He arubtly hurled back from her, wiping away tears. No matter how hard he tried to hold down the tears, they wouldn't stop falling. He eventually realized he just had to ignore it. He swallowed hard,"Here." He spat out. His voice was rough and cracked. He handed her the jug of water from earlier. Mai's shoulders shook as she reached for the water. As soon as it ran down her throat, she felt heaps better. She finished the whole thing, and as soon as she finished, Zuko forced a small smile.

"Feel better?" He asked, as the tears still fell. Tears were falling from her eyes as well. She nodded. Mai still couldn't find words. He wiped his eye one more time,"I'm glad." Zuko swallowed down a huge lump in his throat. He began to open the lid to the fruit salad he had gotten her. "Hungry?" He asked, taking a seat next to her. He wiped more tears from his face, then wiped tears from Mai's face as well. She nodded. "Here." Zuko said, his voice cracking again. He handed her the bowl of fruit, and she began eating obediently. She tried to ignore the large, warm tears streaming down her cheeks and into her food. She sniffed, and shoved a mouthful down her throat. Seeing this just made Zuko more upset at himself. _I'm such an idiot! How could I torture somebody to death right in front of Mai?! _His mind scolded. Zuko buried his face in his hands.

Katara began to understand what was going on. She hoped it weren't true, but there was no other exclamation.

"Zuko.." Katara spoke up, hoping it didn't make him angry. He lifted his head up to glance at her. She bit her lip. "Why...?" Katara wailed, flinching when she caught a glimpse of the man again. Zuko hid his face in his hands again. He was truly ashamed.

"He's the man that... The monster that... He... Mai... " Zuko didn't have to finish. Katara and Toph got the idea. Mai buried her face in her knees.

Zuko slowly stood up, suddenly expressionless. He turned to Mai, and lifted her into his arms. He cradled her for a moment, moving her hair from her face, then turned back to Katara and Toph. "Let's go." He instructed, and headed back towards Appa. The boarded quickly, and lifted into the sky.

Nobody spoke for the rest of the day.


	27. Chapter 27

Sorry for lateness gaiz, I've been busy lately ':D

Reviews on next chappie ;)

______________________________________

** Chapter 27 **

"Suuuuuuuuukiiiiiiiiii..." Sokka wailed. He pouted his lips,"_Suuuuuuuuuuuuuukiiiiiiiiiiiiii_!" His tone rose a bit.

Suki giggled and flopped on her back next to him. "Look." She said, lifting her shirt to reveal a small but noticeable bump in her abdomen. Sokka jolted upwards, and hovered carefully on top of her.

"It's...theres....you're....fat!!!!" He yelled excitedly. Suki laughed, not taking this as an insult. She knew how Sokka was with words.

"Thanks." She said sarcastically, still giggling.

"I mean you aren't fat yet, but you're getting bigger! I mean look at that thing! How long has it been?! How much longer until it's due?! Is it a boy or a girl?! Or both?! TWINS?! We have to go to a doctor to find out! No, wait, I don't know! I want to wait so it will be a surprise! Errr- But I want to know! Should we find out?! Can we even find out?! What if-"

Suki slammed a hand over his mouth. "Calm down," She chuckled. Her expression suddenly went blank, and slowly turned into a small smile.

"Sokka." She mouthed silently. He blinked, confused.

"What is it?" Sokka whispered. Her mouth parted into a small grin.

"Feel." She whispered, and set his hand over her abdomen. He jolted again.

"IT'S KICKING!!" Sokka hollered, breaking the silence. Suki set a finger over her lips,"Shh." She hushed, her smile returning.

"Does it hurt?" Sokka asked, completely enthralled by the tiny nudges coming from her lower stomach.

She shook her head,"No..." Suki trailed off, and it was silent again. She was lost in thought. Suki wondered if it would be a boy or a girl, or both like Sokka had suggested earlier. "Do you want to know what it is?" She asked quietly.

Sokka met her stare, then smiled. "Yes."

___________________________________

Aang stretched his arms high above his head, and yawned loudly with his awakening. He batted his lips and blinked against the sun. "Where..." He gasped at the rush of his sudden flash back.

--

"Nothings here-" The world was spinning now. What was going on? Now he was falling... And now he was gone. "Aang?!" Her voice. Her voice was keeping him from disappearing. "Aang!" Her voice was closer now, he could feel her breathing on his face. "Ka-" He grunted. She hushed him. "What happened?" She whispered frantically. His shoulders shook,"Katar- take....this...." He moaned, and handed her Appa's whistle. "Just... incase..." And now, he was gone.

_--_

"No..." Aang breathed, shaking his head. What had happened? Something had struck him in the head... He hoped Katara made it alright. His fingers automatically reached up to feel the side of his head where he had been struck. He jolted as the waves of pain crashed through him. His fingers brushed over the side of his face, and flakes of dry blood fell to the floor. Aang tried to maintain calm. He began to check his surroundings... Nothing more than a cell. He groaned. Aang began crawling to the wall of the cell, and pressed his ear against it. He heard murmured voices, but nothing more. Who had brought him here? What had happened to Zuko? He froze as he heard a voice clearly. It sounds like he's awake. I'm going to pay him a small visit, is what it said. Aang backed up against the wall again, waiting for whoever it was to show themselves. The door to his cell creaked open, and his eyebrows rose at the familiar figure of Azula._Azula_. Of course she was behind this.

"How are you feeling?" She whispered in a playful tone. Aang didn't speak. He knew if Katara got back to Zuko and the others, that they would search for him. There was no need to be worried.

Azula rolled her eyes,"Always so stingy. Well, you better not get on my bad side, since, you're going to be here for quiet a while."

"No, I won't. I don't need to waste energy on going to the avatar state in a place like this. Zuko and the others are going to come." Aang stated confidently.

Azula chuckled,"Actually, they won't be. I doubt Zuko would even_ think_ of taking a chance to come back here, after what happened." She said, her manipulative mood taking over. Aang blinked.

"What happened?" He asked. Why was he asking Azula? He knew he couldn't trust a word she said.

"Because, Zuko would immediately be turned in and locked away for life." She explained quickly, no change in her tone.

Aang shook his head,"What?! No he wouldn't. You _won't_ fool me Azula." He stated again, hoping Azula wouldn't notice his confidence faultered.

"Actually, I'm telling the truth. Maybe he wouldn't be locked away for life, but for a _very_ long time. Just because he is the new Fire Lord doesn't mean he can get away with murder." The last word swarmed around Aang's head like an angry swarm of bees. He shook his head slowly, then quickly. "No... no! Zuko's different now, he's a different person, he isn't who he used to be!" It sounded more like Aang was trying to prove this to himself rather than Azula. He shook away the thought.

"Katara will help me, or Toph. Or.. anyone!" He spat out. Why was he acting so desperate? He knew he could bust out in a mere second.

"Maybe, in a year or so... They were on-lookers, which means they will be spending most of their time with the police." Azula's tone hadn't differed since she arrived. She yawned,"Well, I have some business to attend to. Have fun." Azula said, a frown covering her face. Now she just sounded bored. As soon as the door slammed, Aang began to mediate. He began to feel his chakras flow, his energies blending. But suddenly, it stopped. His eyes opened,"What was that?" He asked himself. He shook his head, steadying himself again. And again, it stopped. Something was blocked. "My chakras must be blocked...But... Why...?" He moaned. Aang scratched his head. It must have had to do with the news he had just received. He had just heard that his friend, a friend he had thought had changed.

"No.. I shouldn't think that way about Zuko." Aang said, rubbing his forehead. Now he felt guilty. He could feel another chakra blocking. "No! Bad chakra!" He grumbled at himself. But it was no use, there was no way to get in or out of the avatar state with blocked chakras. He groaned and threw his back into the wall. "Ow!" He hollered as he realized the cell was made of metal.

"Stupid metal." Aang mumbled. His eyes sprung open,"Metal!" He shouted. He took a deep breath, and leaned his palm into the material as he had once before. He tried to calm his troubled mind, and just focus on the tight earth in front of him. As his thoughts cleared away, he slowly pressed his palm deeper into the metal, making an indent of his hand on the thick material. He took another breath, and hoped that what he was about to do wouldn't backfire and his hand would remain un-broken. He then clenched a fist, and pounded against the metal. As his eyes opened again, he could see a large crack that now ran up the cell. He smirked, and delivered the final blow with his fist. Now he could see a whole that formed in the middle of his cell. He leaped silently into the brush of the forest, and froze as he saw Azula standing to the left of him. He was shocked to see that she hadn't moved. Aang shook his head, and ran quickly into the forest. He spun his head around, assuming Azula was directly behind him with lighting ready to blow, but she was still just standing in front of the cell. _Why isn't she chasing after me? _Aang thought. He was glad that she wasn't chasing him, but confused._ Is she planning something? If so... what? _

_____________________________________

The shapes of the Fire Nation were getting closer and closer. Nobody still had said a word since the_ incident. _Zuko quietly lowered Appa in the familiar gardens just a few miles away from the city. The gardeners kindly offered to assist, but the group silently waved them off. Katara bit her lip, wondering how Zuko would react if she rose her voice once she noticed he was going in the wrong direction. She decided she would try.

"Where are you going?" Katara asked quietly. Zuko lifted Mai back into his arms. "The officer station." He replied, emotionless. Katara hoped he wasn't going to do what she thought he would do.

"Why?" She asked, suddenly curious. Mai just kept staring at him, her eyes hadn't left his ever since they left that town. Zuko struggled not to meet her stare.

"I have to talk to them about some things that concern Mai..."He paused, and took a silent breath,"And myself." Zuko spat dryly. Mai's eyes widened.

"You're not....Zuko, you can't...It wasn't..."Katara clenched her fists," You can't turn yourself in just because you made a mistake!! It-"

"A _huge_ mistake!!!" Zuko roared, hurling around. Katara cringed. Toph just stood there silently, feeling both Katara and Mai's heartbeat quicken. Zuko spun back around and trudged to the opposite side of the city.

___________________________________

Aiko sat silently in the middle of the room. The silence was overwhelming. Thoughts were consuming her mind. What would they do to her? Did she do something wrong?

The door swung back open, and revealed the familiar police officer. She gulped, and opened her mouth as if she were to speak. He quieted her with a wave of his hand.

"Don't worry, you aren't in trouble. You just listened to them to stay alive, and there is nothing wrong with that.." The officer shot her a glance. Aiko tried to ignore it.

"But you aren't free to go yet, we still want to ask a few questions." He continued, taking out a sheet of paper.

Aiko nodded.

Then, there was another knock at the door.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we have a visitor." The voice was a woman's, maybe in her thirty's. The officer lifted himself off of the chair, and proceeded back through the door way. Aiko sighed in relief at his dismissal.

--

The police officers just stood in awe of the sight of their Fire Lord in _this _state. The chief bowed dumbly. He was suddenly eager to know why they were here. "How can we help you?" The chief asked, his serious voice returning.

"I need to speak to someone about Mai,"Zuko motioned to the tired girl in his arms,"And myself." The chief nodded, and waved them to the back room on the opposite side of Aiko.

--

Now Aiko was getting impatient. Had they changed their minds about her? Would she go to prison? No, she really had done nothing wrong... But, what if they don't understand?! She groaned. Aiko could here voices coming from the next room, and decided she would listen in. There was nothing better to do, anyway.

_A couple months ago, Mai was taken._

Mai.... Aiko knew that name, but she couldn't remember where..

_And you didn't come to us?_

_I didn't need to, I had private police at the palace. I waited to come here because I needed to find her on my own. _

_And who took her? _

There was silence for a few moments, and the chief's voice returned.

_Would it be alright if we had the girl speak with one of our other officers? _

It was quiet for a minute, then the door opened and closed. Aiko guessed he must have nodded. She peeked out of the crack in the door, and saw her familiar face walk by and into another room. Aiko gasped and hurried back to her chair. She prayed Mai wouldn't notice her, or remember her. Thankfully, the door closed, and Aiko was safe... For now, at least.

Eventually, her curiousity took over, and Aiko pressed herself against the wall to the room where that man had been. That very attractive man, she might add. That very attractive man that had been carrying Mai. Were they family? Were they a ...thing? Aiko shook her head and listened.

_I did something...I'm really not proud of...at all. _

There was an uncomfortable silence.

_What?_

More silence. And a sigh.

_We found the man that...did some things to Mai... And I... _

Another sigh.

_And he was...murdered..._

_Really? How? Who did this? Do you have a description of the man that was murdered?!_

_Yes. He was a bit tall..Maybe in his twenties, and had green eyes, I think... And I...._

And, another sigh.

_I was the one who killed him._

Aiko blinked. They _must _have been a thing. Now she felt horribly guilty.

There was a dry, throaty sigh, that must have come from the chief. Aiko heard shuffling, and then it was quiet again.

_Did he look anything like this? _

It was quiet. Aiko assumed he must have a poster of the man... _A_ _wanted poster? _ She guessed.

_Yeah! That's... That's him! Why do-_

_We've been trying to track this man down for 10 years. And his penalty for running from the law for so long, was in fact the death penalty. _

It was quiet for another moment.

_It was? _

_So actually, what you did wasn't all that bad! Well, you still probably don't want the word to get out that _you _murdered a man, so we'll keep it secret._

Aiko struggled to keep tears from draining from her eyes. That frightened, fragile looking girl that she had found in that closet was sent to a man the police had been looking for for 10 whole years...And it was all her fault.

___________________________________________

The sun was set, and the moon was just beginning to rise now. Zuko had to admit, he did feel a little better when he found out the police wanted this man dead....But he still felt very guilty as well, since he hadn't known that when he murdered him. Zuko shook the thoughts away, and turned back to the station. Mai was just finishing up with the police herself, and was probably bored to death.

"Fire Lord," Called a voice from one of the officers,"Can we talk to you for a minute?"

Zuko nodded, and followed him into one of the rooms.

"So.."The officer started, as Zuko took a seat,"We took some tests on Mai, and considering what she's been through, she's doing pretty well...All she needs is a few more healthy meals and she'll be back to normal in no time."

"But what about her memory?" Zuko asked suddenly.

"It could have been anything. The shock of waking up in that kind of atmosphere, the lack of food and water, or.." He paused, and shot Zuko a wary look.

"Or what?"

"Or, well... We found a rather large bump on her head, and we were wondering if that man did it on purpose. But you were lucky you found her before he did anything."

"He didn't do anything? But... I thought...." Zuko trailed.

"We didn't find and semen-"

"OK then what did he do?" Zuko interrupted uneasily. Even if he had Mai back, some of this was unbearable for him to hear.

"He played with her, no doubt. His DNA is in various different places on the girl's body, but nothing serious except the bump." The officer explained calmly.

"So, you think...He hit her?" Anger began to bubble up inside of Zuko. It was the same anger that he had felt when he murdered that monster.

"Maybe... But her memory wasn't effected that bad, so she should regain it any time soon. Come back in a few days to tell us if she's getting worse or better." The officer gave him an apologetic smile, then headed out the back door. Zuko hurried to the room Mai was still in, and she was sitting by herself.

"You ready?" Zuko asked quietly. Mai nodded.

______________________________________

"I wonder how things are going...." Katara thought out loud. Toph just nodded. They were just arriving at the palace, and were quickly greeted by Sokka.

"WHAT HAPPENED?!" He yelled. He hurled Katara out of the way, trying to find Aang.

"WHERE IS AANG?!?!?!" Sokka screeched.

"We'll explain if you shut up!" Toph shot. Sokka backed down.

"We found Mai." Katara exclaimed. Sokka grinned.

"YOU DID?! WHERE IS ZUKO?!?! WHY-"

"I SAID QUIET! I HAVE A HEADACHE!" Toph shouted. Sokka backed down again.

"Zuko isn't here right now...." Katara paused to sigh,"And....About Aang... He was taken."

Sokka let out a groan,"Once we find someone, we lose someone else. It's like, it isn't natural for us to be _normal._" He complained. His head shot up,"Who took him?"

Katara covered her face with her hands,"I don't know..." She sobbed.

Sokka quickly changed the subject,"About Zuko?" He asked.

Katara shook away those dark thoughts of losing Aang,"It's a _long_ story...."


	28. Chapter 28

Sorry for COMPLETELY ignoring the kind reviews you all gave me ):] I promise I'll respond to the reviews for this chapter in the next chapter!

o0o0o

**Chapter 29**

* * *

Rain slammed against Aang's body as he leaped through trees, over rocks, and across streams. Wet mud, dirt, and grass covered him from head to toe. He wasn't positive, but there might have been some blood mixed in as well. A few times he had lost track how long he had been running, ant at one point he almost gave up. But he couldn't, he had to get back to Katara as fast as he could. No matter how much strength it would take, no matter how long he had to run.

Aang scowled, and froze. _Alright, this is enough. _He drew a large breath, and let out a huge gust of wind, that was soon miles behind him. He took off at full speed, using as much air as he possibly could, and charged north. He ran and ran, until his knees wobbled and he could almost count how many blisters he had with out even looking at them. As soon as he felt the least bit safer, he decided he had to rest. He sighed in relief as he saw a small entrance to a cave just up ahead. He hurried into the shade, sighing again as he let his back slide against the cool wall of the cave. Aang let his hand wander to the top of his head, almost automatically reaching for his new wound. He blinked as he also felt something else: hair. He groaned, _Maybe I should just _let it_ grow out. _He let his eyes close, and his mind ease. The sound of the rain slamming against the cave slowly faded into silence, as Aang entered a deep sleep.

---

Zuko winced at the site of his palace, what was he going to do? Just walk right in, after disappearing for days without any exclamation to anyone about where he was, or what he was doing?

"What's wrong?" Mai asked, finally noticing he was no longer walking beside her.

Zuko shook his head,"Just forget it." He muttered.

Even if Mai barely remembered him at all, she could tell he was avoiding something. But, she couldn't tell how to deal with it. She huffed, and followed after him up to the palace.

o0o0o0o

To Zuko's surprise, the guards greeted him at ease. Unfortunately, the servants didn't have the same reaction. They didn't even have a similar reaction. Instead of greeting him, they scowled at him and avoided him.

As soon as Mai noticed the change in atmosphere, she turned towards Zuko. His expression showed he was genuinely confused.

"Now what is it?" She asked, trying not to sound annoyed.

Zuko frowned,"I don't know..." He decided just to ignore it, and headed towards the garden where he knew his mother would be.

---

Katara leaned against her window sill, watching some children playing hide-and-explode near the entrance of the palace.... Definitely not a game she'd ever want her children to play. She tightened her grip around her knees at the thought of_ her children_. She remembered the time at Aunt Wu's village, where she was told she would produce two children of her own and three grandchildren in her lifetime. Katara shivered, then propped an eyebrow. She had always set her mind on three to four kids, but maybe that'd change... Then, she shivered again. _Having kids means having... _Katara shook her head, _and.... Aang._ She froze.

"Oh boy..." She whispered to herself.

"What?" Came Sokka's voice from the thrush hold.

Katara jumped and spun around,"What? Oh, nothing." She blabbed quickly, preparing an excuse if he asked again.

He just shrugged.

"Suki and I are going to the doctor's today... We were wondering if you, I don't know, wanted to... Come along?" Sokka asked.

She blinked,"Oh, sure... For what?" Katara bit her lip, she was still shuddering from that thought from earlier.

"We want to see if it's a boy or a girl." He said with a smile.

Katara smiled back,"Really? You think it's late enough to tell?"

He nodded,"Probably... And Katara?"

She hesitated,"Yeah?"

Sokka frowned,"Are _you_ doing okay?"

Katara almost felt insulted, what had he meant by _you? _"I'm fine." She lied. She was the complete opposite of fine. Aang was gone, it seemed like nobody cared about finding him, her father was preparing to leave for the South Pole again, and now a new thought swarmed in her mind.

Now she was just angry.

"Actually, I can't go." Katara said suddenly.

He looked up,"What? What do you mean you can't come? Why-"

She cut him off,"Because, I have to find Aang."

---

Ursa stared out at the sky, and faked a smile as she saw her son and his girlfriend make their ways up to her.

"Mai!" Ursa gasped, not only because they had found her, but because of how big she was... And how frail she looked. "Mai..." She repeated, this time less cheerful.

Zuko looked down. Ursa stood up and went to hug Mai, then turned to Zuko.

"Did.. Where..?" She didn't have to finish.

"I'll explain later." Explaining in front of Mai would just make her feel worse.

Ursa stared at the ground for a moment, then perked up trying to brighten the mood. "But, you found her. You'll have to go wake up Ty Lee, she'll be thrilled."

Zuko frowned, he wasn't ready to let Mai go just yet. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her against him, just to prove his point. Ursa would of giggled, but his expression was so serious she was shivering. She quickly formed another fake smile, that Zuko could see right through.

"Are you alright?" He asked, his serious expression was now full of concern.

She nodded,"Yes, why?"

His frown deepened. She sighed,"It's nothing."

They were interrupted by Mai's stomach growling, and he quickly headed towards the kitchen. Just before they went inside, he shot Ursa a we're-not-finished look. She shook her head, and went back to watching the clouds.

---

Aang's eyes sprung open as he jolted forwards. He whirled around and saw the sun was pretty much in the same position, which meant he hadn't overslept. He sighed in relief, and cracked his knuckles, preparing to blast away. But before he did, he remembered something.

"Wait..." Aang spun in a clumsy circle, searching for the cave he had fallen asleep in earlier. Now, he was surrounded by trees. "Where..." He shook his head, _sleep walking at a time like this?_. There was no time to worry about it. He gathered as much air as he could and blasted it behind him as he sprung forward. He kept going in the same direction as last time, hoping he would find the cave. To his relief, he found the mountain he had to go up earlier to reach the cave. He froze.

"How did I sleep walk down a mountain?"He wondered aloud, then shook his head again. _Focus. _He warned, then used airbending as a shortcut up the cliff. But his thoughts didn't settle down. Something was weird...

When he was halfway up the side of the mountain, his body started to slow down. _What's going on?! _He tried to yell, but nothing happened. A second passed, and he was a few feet above the ground. He tried to use airbending to keep him from crashing, but he couldn't move. He couldn't even see. It was like his body was forcing him to sleep.

---

"Mai," Ty Lee started, her voice barely audible. "Mai!" She started again, this time shouting. Ty Lee threw her arms around her.

"I thought you were there when we got her back." Toph said, resting her head against the table.

"I was but I fainted.... Remember?" Ty Lee shot at her. Mai just blinked and stared at her in confusion.

"What's wrong?!" Ty Lee asked, not noticing she was shouting right in Mai's face.

Toph groaned,"She doesn't know who you are, smart one."

"What?!?!" Ty Lee shouted again, somehow managing to make her voice an octave higher.

"She lost her memory." Toph replied nonchalantly, turning her head to face the wall.

Ty Lee's jaw dropped, she couldn't believe what she had just heard.

"Mai! How can you not remember me?! I'm your best friend! You have to remember-"

"Apparently, shouting in someones face ''You have to remember" doesn't actually help them remember." Toph snapped.

Ty Lee frowned,"Well sorry I'm surprised to hear my best friend in the whole world lost her memory." Toph rolled her eyes and shrugged.

"How did you lose your memory? Er- What _can_ you remember?" Ty Lee asked, wide-eyed.

"I r-remember..... I mean, I remember something but... I don't know when it was..." Mai trailed off.

"What is it?" Ty Lee asked, leaning in.

Mai clenched her fists, and tried to concentrate on the only memory she had.

"It was nighttime."

"Was it with Zuko?!?!" Ty Lee asked, leaning in even closer.

Mai blushed,"N-no!"

Toph snorted, and rolled her eyes again.

"I was outside and then.." Mai closed her eyes,"And then I couldn't see... And then I was inside... And that's all..."

Ty Lee's mouth fell open,"Do you think it was the night you were captured?!"

Mai kept her eyes on the floor,"Maybe..."

---

Zuko eyed his mother and folded his arms. "What is it?"

Ursa sighed,"It's nothing.. I mean I was just thinking about..." She bit her lip.

"About what?" Zuko challenged, deepening his frown.

"About..." She sighed again in defeat,"Ozai."

"Why." It wasn't a question. He clenched his jaw.

Ursa was quiet for a moment, then leaned back up against the tree by the turtle-duck pond. "He used to be so different... I don't know what happened." She smiled,"He used to be a lot like you, actually."

Zuko blinked,"What?!"

She nodded,"He even used to smile. But then... His mother started getting sick and, it really... Changed him." Ursa decided that that seemed to be the right word.

Zuko stared in disbelief, then quickly shook his head. He couldn't even imagine Ozai showing emotion for anything.

"I'll be inside." He muttered, and headed towards the doors.

"Wait!" Ursa called after him. He hesitated.

"I want you to have this." She gave him a small smile, and handed him a betrothal necklace.

His mouth fell open at the sight of it, it was covered in white crystal, covered in smaller red and white crystals.

"It's..." Zuko couldn't find a word to describe it.

"I know. Ozai gave this to me, before his mother was ill."

"Da- ... Ozai?!" Zuko moaned, and shook his head. He always imagined Ozai giving his mother a piece of coal in the shape of a heart or something... But he never thought he would even think to get her anything like this.

"I know how you feel about Mai." She started, and took his hand into hers. "I want you to give this to her, when you're ready."

Zuko slowly nodded, and tucked the necklace into his shirt pocket. Ursa gave him a small hug before departing into the kitchen, and left Zuko staring at his reflection in disbelief.

* * *

':O See, I'm not dead!...xD

Please review!!! I promise I'll update faster next time ;D


	29. Chapter 29

Reviews --

TO EVERYONE - THANK U XD sorry for the crappy thanks, but I just replied to all of your reviews and it got deleted -____-'

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* * *

BTW XD Sorry, the chapter before was actually chapter 28, not 29....'x3 THIS is chapter 29 ^___^

**Chapter 29**

Zuko rushed to his room, and quickly searched for a place to hide the betrothal necklace. Somewhere Mai couldn't find it. A knock at the door interrupted him, and he quickly thrust it under his bed. He spun around and placed an innocent look on his face, that dropped when he saw Mai push open the door.

"Mai.." He murmured,"What is it?"

She blinked her stare to the ground,"I came here because.. I wanted to.." Mai bit down on her bottom lip hard.

"You wanted to what?" Zuko whispered.

"I wanted to... Kiss you." Mai forced out.

Zuko's mouth fell open,"You- Seriously?!" He smiled, and took her hand in his own. She blushed when he pulled her into his lap.

"You sure?" He asked suddenly. She nodded. "Why all of a sudden?"

Mai looked down,"I was thinking.. Maybe if we tried it would help me remember."

Zuko nodded, and pulled her chin towards his. He could feel her heart beating against his chest... Or maybe it was his.

Their mouths met and departed several times before Mai placed her hands behind his neck, pulling herself closer. He placed his hands on the small of her back, and pressed her forwards. She gasped slightly at the impact, and let him kiss down her neck while she caught her breath. His hands soared under her clothing, and roamed around her chest. She gasped again, and tried to shudder away. But his grasp on her was too strong, and she couldn't leave.

"Wait-" She bit her lip as his fingers began to untie her robes. "Zu-Zuko!" Mai yelled breathlessly.

He pulled away then, and stared at her wide-eyed. "What's wrong?" He asked, sounding a bit breathless himself.

"I only wanted to kiss you.." She looked down. Zuko's shoulders fell, and he followed her stare to the floor.

"Sorry." He whispered. He looked up suddenly,"Maybe it would help you remember."

"But... what if it doesn't..?" Mai asked.

He looked back down,"I don't know..."

They were both silent. Zuko wanted to. A part of him knew it was normal, but another part scolded him for feeling that way. Mai wanted to. Even though she couldn't remember, she wanted him. He was perfect. Even his scar was perfect. But something was telling her not to. And it made it even more difficult with him trying to rip her clothes off every time they were near each other.

"Mai," Zuko started,"I think we should wait... Until you remember, that way,"He reached for her hand again,"It can be special."

She forced her head down, and clenched her teeth. All of a sudden, it felt like she was going to cry. Zuko wrapped his arms around her,"It's going to be okay." He murmured, stroking his hand along her back.

"Mai," He waited for her to meet his stare,"We should visit your parents tomorrow. They haven't seen you since you-" He looked to the side.

"Okay."

---

"Katara, you're insane! I'm not just going to let you fly around the world on your own. I'll go with you." Sokka argued as they headed towards Appa.

"No, you're staying. You have to stay with Suki, and plus, I need to talk with Aang. Alone." Katara fought back, sharply turning her head to the side.

"Katara no! Not with those weirdos still out there!"

"They aren't! Zuko-" She cut herself off. She didn't know if she should tell him yet, or if Zuko would tell him on his own.

"What about Zuko?" He asked.

"Nothing." Katara muttered, and leaped onto Appa's head.

"If I can't come with you, then bring somebody else, at least. Please." Sokka begged, giving her his puppy-dog face.

She groaned,"I'll be fine Sokka, I promise."

"Katara-" She quickly whipped the reins, causing Appa to leap into the air before Sokka could change her mind.

---

Aang awoke with a massive headache. He forced his eyes open, and saw he was once again somewhere different. He curled his hands into fists.

"What the hell?!?!" He shouted to himself. To him, it still felt weird to curse. But hanging out with Zuko and Sokka...It was starting to rub off on him.

He shook his head, and looked around. Now he was on a beach. _That's it. I'm getting out of here, now._ He gathered wind behind him and blasted himself as far as he possibly could, and ran. He was running so fast tears were spilling from his eyes. He was running so fast that his feet were growing numb. He ran and ran, and froze when he saw the mountain with the cave again. He forced his teeth down to keep him from cursing again. His heart was beating rapidly in his chest, and he felt faint. As soon as he was going to collapse, he heard a voice behind him. He used his last amount of strength to turn around.

His mouth fell when he saw Azula, standing in complete poise.

"Hello Avatar." She greeted, an evil grin spreading across her face. "Tired are you?"

He kept quiet.

She frowned,"Still not talking..."

He didn't answer.

"Fine, we don't need to talk." Azula smirked, and twirled her arms around her, gathering as much lightening as she could without hurting herself.

_No, _Aang gasped, and leaped out of the way right before the lightening struck him. _I can't fight, I have to get out of here. _He began to think of ways he could distract her, or any way of escaping. His thoughts were interrupted by Azula thrusting a big blue ball of fire his way. He somehow managed to gather enough air to push it away. Aang shook his head, and focused all his energies on his bending. He had to try to fight back, or he'd die. _Come on, come on. _But he couldn't. He was too exhausted. It was like every bone in his body was begging him for rest. But he had to try to get away from Azula. Or maybe... maybe he shouldn't try to get away. Maybe he should just let her capture him, then when he gets enough rest he'll be able to break away from wherever she held him captive. He smirked, then prepared himself for what was coming. A big blast of fire was once again heading right for him. As soon as it struck him, he flung backwards against a tree. It wasn't strong enough to knock him out, but it did hurt. He closed his eyes and pretended to be unconscious. It was quiet for a couple moments, then he could hear footsteps getting closer, then he could feel hands grasping his arms and pulling him forwards. Then, he heard a giggle.

"I'm impressed. You almost fooled me." Azula said with a smile, slamming him against the tree again. He gasped_, _and his eyes sprung open. He began to form a fighting stance, but it was too late. A blue flame was already flying straight for him.

---

Mai made her way down the halls of the chambers and back to the dining room, where Ty Lee and Toph were still arguing. She felt bad about leaving Zuko alone, but she couldn't be alone with him or else the whole thing might start over again.

Ty Lee cleared some stray hairs out of her face,"Hi Mai." She greeted awkwardly. Mai nodded and took a seat across from them.

"What's the matter now?" Toph grumbled, and leaned back in her chair.

Mai looked at the table and shook her head.

"Did you guys do it?" Ty Lee asked, leaning in so Mai could feel her breathing on her face.

Mai blinked,"Do what?" She asked innocently.

Toph rolled her eyes.

"You know, _it_. Like... _it_ it." Ty Lee chanted, and giggled as Mai's face began to turn bright red.

"No!" Mai defended sheepishly, then looked back down. "I mean... " She shook her head,"No, we didn't."

"So you were going to? Or..." Toph waited, trying not to show that inside she was just as enthralled as Ty Lee.

"I don't know. I just told him I wanted to kiss him and-"

"There's the problem." Toph stated, folding her arms.

"What do you mean?" Ty Lee asked.

"I mean," Toph started, and turned to face the two of them,"You go into Zuko's room, all alone, in the middle of the night, and tell him you want to make-out. Of course he's going to think you wanted more than that." She explained in a matter-of-fact tone.

Ty Lee muttered something under her breath only Mai could hear. It sounded like _like she's the expert._

"I didn't say I wanted to _make-out_." Mai snapped.

Toph shrugged,"Same difference."

_Not really, _Mai felt like saying. But something held her back.

"So what did he say? When you told him you weren't ready or whatever." Ty Lee brought up, changing the subject.

"He said okay... Then he said he wanted to wait until I remember."

Ty Lee tapped her chin.

"What if I can't remember?" Mai asked in a small voice.

"Don't say that! You will." Ty Lee encouraged.

"I want to but it feels like it's impossible."Mai said, burying her face in her arms.

A mishevious grin spread across Ty Lee's face,"Well then, Tomorrow we'll have to begin our training."

Toph frowned,"What training?"

"THE LET'S HELP MAI GET HER MEMORY BACK TRAINING!" Ty Lee exclaimed, stomping her right foot on the table, and waving a fist at nothing.

Both Toph and Mai grimaced, and slumped into their chairs.

---

I told you I'd update faster this time ;DD


	30. Chapter 30

Reviews on next chappie ;D

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**Chapter 30**

"Alright!" Ty Lee announced, spreading a sheet of blank paper across the dining table. "I did a little research in the library, and found some ways to increase memory." She uncapped an ink pen and began to scribble down some barely legible notes.

Toph cleared her throat, as if to make a point that she can't see. Ty Lee stared at first, then blinked in realization.

"Oh! Sorry," She apologized, then shook her head,"In the books I read, it said that the first key to improving memory is proper nutrition." Ty Lee shot a look at Mai, who shuddered.

---

_10 minutes later_

_---_

"I can't do this any more!" Mai murmured, gulping down the last sip of her 20th fruit smoothie.

"Do you remember any thing?" Ty Lee asked hopefully. Toph just shook her head.

"I remember I hate grapefruit." Mai muttered.

---

"Okay, so that didn't really work out so well." Ty Lee said, crossing out the plan on the top of the page. "The next suggestion was to get rest. Sometimes dreams can stir memories." She shot another playful look at Mai, who pretended not to notice.

"Come on!" Ty Lee yelled, and tugged her towards her bedroom. "Or, do you prefer Zuko's room?" She giggled.

Mai scowled,"Stop it."

"Fine fine." She sighed in defeat, and pushed her threw the doors and onto her bed. "Sleep!"

"Yeah, 'cuz that's totally 'gonna help her sleep." Toph said, taking a seat at the desk.

Ty Lee ignored her,"Would it help if we leave?"

Mai shrugged,"I don't mind. Just be quiet."

---

_1 minute later_

---

Ty Lee stood suddenly,"THIS IS SO BORING! I CAN'T TAKE IT ANY MORE! AHHHHH-"

---

"Let's try option C." Ty Lee suggested, crossing out the second plan on the list. "Another idea was to exercise."

Mai groaned,"I'm tired of this."

"Me too. And these things they're telling us to do aren't things that are immediately going to help. It takes time. It's not like she takes a bite of an apple and takes a nap then automatically remembers everything." Toph explained, annoyed.

Mai realized that Toph was usually quiet. But when she did say things, it always made sense.

Ty Lee sighed,"Then, you need to try everything! Maybe if Zuko touched you or something."

Mai frowned,"I said stop it."

She laughed,"Maybe we could play Seven Minutes in Heaven."

"Stop-"

"Or we could just lock them in the closet and see what happens-"

"I said stop!!!" Mai screamed, jolting up from her chair and clenching her fists. Tears were leaking from her eyes.

"Sorry Mai- I was just teasing you."

"How would you feel if you had to live in some house you didn't know, with people you didn't know, who keep making jokes about you doing .... bad things with somebody you didn't know?!?!?"

Ty Lee was silent, and Toph looked away.

"Sorry." Ty Lee whispered after a while.

Mai spun on her heel and rushed back down the corridors towards her room. She was in such a hurry she didn't notice she was hurling straight towards someone.

"Mai-" But before he could finish, she slammed him out of the way. He frowned and quickly took hold of her arm.

"Mai what's wrong?" He asked. Mai could hear it was Zuko.

"Nothing!" She shouted.

"I know when somethings wrong." Zuko said softly, placing his hand on her cheek.

"Stop." She mouthed. Her hands curled into fists. "I don't know you!" Mai tried to rip herself from his grasp, but she couldn't. She shook her head, why couldn't she get away?

_Weak._

The word kept flashing in her mind. The thought of being weak made her tremble in fear. She hated the word.

"You do know me, you just can't remember it." She heard Zuko whisper harshly.

Then, he let her go.

---

Zuko sat down on the edge of his bed, and sighed. He knew something was wrong with Mai, and he wanted to help. But there were so many other things to do, so much more on his mind. Like, how he would tell Iroh about what he did. What he, somehow, wished he could take back.

_Let your anger out, then let it go,_

He remembered Aang saying a long time ago. Why couldn't he just let things go more easily? His hand involuntarily reached up to his scar. He shook his head and forced his hand down. He promised himself he wouldn't regret his scar anymore. That instead of being reminded of the day he was banished, that he would be reminded of the day he was put on the right path.

He was interrupted by Sokka speeding down the hall towards his room. He slammed the doors wide open, and caught his breath. Zuko stared at him wide-eyed.

"Zuko, I'm sorry if this is a bad time but-" Sokka stopped to catch his breath. "But, I need your help. Katara left to find Aang all on her own." He explained quickly.

Zuko blinked,"Why? If she wanted to go now she could have just asked us-"

"I know! But she wanted to do this for some stupid reason." Sokka yelled. Zuko was quiet for a moment, then met Sokka's stare.

"I'll help you find her."

Sokka smiled,"Thanks, I have to go get my things..." He ran back out of the room and towards his room.

Zuko shook his head, and reached for his sword. It was the only thing he really needed. But before he left, something caught his eye.

"The necklace." He murmured to himself. For some reason, something was screaming at him to take it with him.

"Zuko-" Sokka started as he hurled back inside the room,"What's that?"

Zuko shoved it in his pocket,"Nothing."

Sokka shrugged it off and lead them to Appa's stable. On the way, Zuko noticed that the servants were glaring again. He wondered why they were upset, and he wondered if they were the only ones that were upset. He stopped walking, and it took Sokka a couple moments to realize Zuko's absence. He turned around,"What is it?"

Zuko turned towards the gates,"I'll be right back." He nodded towards the gatekeepers, who were also glaring. They reluctantly obeyed, and the giant doors slowly opened. The people outside first stared in shock, then glared just as the servants. Before he knew it, he was surrounded by angry families and workers.

"Erm-" Zuko started, only to be interrupted by a fisherman in the back.

"Well look who it is!" He shouted.

Another man shouted,"Looks like he's leaving. Again."

The man from before said,"Where you off to now? Gonna go live it up in Ember Island with that little girlfriend of yours, leaving the Fire Nation open to invaders?"

Zuko blinked in disbelief,"No- No! Even if I do decide to leave, we still have the army. A-and we don't have to worry about invaders."

"You really think every person in the world agrees with your plan?" An elderly woman shouted, making her way to the front of the crowd.

"Of course I don't, but still-"

"While you left, I was robbed!" A boy about Zuko's age yelled.

"That was probably just a coincidence-"

"So was I!" A middle-aged woman said, and hushed her crying baby.

"I saw two of them! They were wearing masks!" An older man yelled, making his way past the crowd of angry people.

"They tried to take my daughters!" He continued.

Zuko froze,"They what? What did the masks look like?!" He was practically shouting.

"H-he... I m-mean, I only caught a g-glimpse." The man stuttered, caught off gaurd.

"How old are they?"

"I said I only caught a glimpse!"

"I mean your daughters!"

The man blinked,"One is sixteen, the other is fourteen... Why?" Zuko tuned the rest of the voices out. _Fourteen...? __That_ young? Maybe it wasn't the same men who took Mai... It couldn't be, he locked them up.... Right? Or were the men he just heard of now, the _real_ ones who took Mai?

"Alright that's enough!" Sokka's voice interrupted his thoughts. "This time, we'll send a message to the general telling him to send guards around the town at night or something, happy?!" Zuko was in shock at how serious Sokka sounded. He was never serious. Except when he was talking about meat.

The villagers nodded and mumbled and shrugged dumbly, and Sokka spun around towards Appa's stable.

---

Mai rapidly threw everything she picked out of her closet into her bag. She had to get out of this place. She couldn't hurt Zuko any more. She couldn't hurt herself any more. She whirled around and froze at the sight of a huge pile of wrinkled close on top of her bag. For some reason she felt like crying. But something wasn't letting her. It was the same something that was telling her to run away.

"Ow!" Mai gasped, and fell to her knees. Memories were flashing in her head. She felt the rush of adrenaline spread through her veins as she took a firm grip of her knives. She was holding them so tightly, that the blades were cutting into her palm. Her heart was beating so fast she couldn't notice. She was being surrounded. One versus two: just the way she wanted it. It was dark, and the cold wind slammed against her body as she whirled around the slick pavement, hurling knives when ever they got nearer. She wasn't afraid. She had done this before. This would be easy. But then she stopped in her tracks, and became unmoving. _What is this?_ Then Mai saw why she froze, it was the small flame that was rising from one of their hands. The memory quickly flashed away, and was replaced by another one. Now she was running, as fast as her legs could take her. She was running to him. Mai knew he would protect her from them. She loved him. And it was then she realized she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.

"Zu-" She shouted, but before she could say it, a cold, hard hand was slammed against her mouth. _No no no no no! _Her head was screaming, but she was making no sound. It was like a nightmare.

The other man stood in front of her, and removed half of his mask, so is mouth was showing.

"Finally caught you." He said. His voice was rough and dry. Mai waited impatiently.

"Look hunny, we can either do this the hard way, or the easy way." He continued. Mai waited for the other man's hand to loosen. As soon as it did, she plunged her teeth into his skin, and he let out a shriek of pain. He thrashed away from her, and she darted away from him. The other man snatched her arm and slammed her against the side of a building.

"I think you're going to want to cooperate." He started again, and turned to point down the alley way. "You see that rope on the ground?"

Mai didn't answer. Instead she glared at him, hoping to scare him.

"It's a special kind of rope. Which means, if I decide to light it on fire, it would carry the flame all the way down the alley way, and to the fountain." He explained curtly. Mai's eyes widened. _Zukos there. _"And thennn," He made an exploding gesture with his free hand.

He showed a sly smile, then flickered a small flame in the middle of his palm.

"No! No don't please! What do you want?!" She begged.

He was quiet.

"I'll do anything just- just don't hurt him, please! I-I'll do what ever you want!" Mai screamed.

He was still quiet. Mai would rather rip all her hair out than gamble for Zuko's life.

"Alright." He said after a while. "Good choice. I really didn't want to have to do that...I don't really want to have to do this either but... Since you offered." There was another flash, but then it was dark.

That was as far as she could remember.


	31. Chapter 31

Gaahhh! I'll put reviews on the next chappie, cuz I am in the writy mood! xD oh and btw, I think I accidentally said Zuko and Sokka also took Appa with them to look for Katara (who is on Appa XD ).... just so you know, Zuko and Sokka are actually in a war balloon!

* * *

**Chapter 31**

Mai lay down in her bed, and faced the window. She waited. She had been in bed all night, and all the next day. The moon was high over head again. She waited for Zuko to come back. She needed him to help her remember the rest. And she also needed to say she was sorry... And that she loved him. She cringed as she remembered the look on his face... He looked so hurt. She couldn't stand the thought of hurting him. She thought about that memory, of her screaming to save him. Screaming that she'd do anything just so he could live. She slammed her eyes shut until instead of seeing black, she saw white. Mai tried to sort through the memory, pushing further and further back. She could remember being in a different house... With different people. She pushed her memory back, and she remember being with him. She felt like opening her eyes, but she was scared the memory would leave. He was smiling at her, the smile that always won her over, no matter what the situation. And she was smiling back. She felt her neck getting hot, and she could feel she was blushing. Then, their lips met. It was brief, but it sent butterflies soaring around her body. Every other feeling evaporated. It made her feel warm, and whole again. He pulled away, so only their foreheads were pressed together. She wanted to push the memory back, but she couldn't. That was all she could remember. She stood up suddenly, so suddenly it even startled herself. She remembered the doctor, who said to come back regularly and check in about her memory. She decided now was the perfect time. She hurried back down to the guest chambers, and out the door, ignoring the confused looks Toph and Ty Lee shot at her.

---

Zuko looked beneath the war balloon, nothing but trees.

"You sure we're going the right way?" He asked. Sokka nodded, but he seemed a little unsure himself.

"Oh! Look! Town!" Sokka yelled, changing the subject. Zuko rolled his eyes and groaned. The balloon started getting lower and lower until it reached the ground.

"I thought you were worried about Katara." Zuko challenged.

"I am!" Sokka defended sheepishly,"But, I'm also really hungry so... yeah. You want anything?"

Zuko shook his head and looked away. Sokka shrugged and turned towards the town. Zuko pulled the necklace out of his pocket, and held it out in front of him. It sparkled and reflected the sun, which made it turn a goldish color. It reminded him of Mai's eyes. He sighed, and rested his head in his arms. He wondered when she would remember him. When she would remember everything. Zuko doubted it would be any time soon. He groaned in frustration. All he wanted, ever since she was gone, was to show her how he felt about her. And that he would do it once he had her back. And now that she was back, he couldn't show her. He couldn't really do anything with out her getting scared. He closed his eyes, and remembered that time on his ship. He remembered that dream he had had, the one when they were together... in that way. _Stupid, _he thought. The dream had been a mix between a bad romance story, and a sex manual. It almost made him laugh looking back at it now, but he was in no laughing mood.

He froze, and his thoughts and breathing stopped when something caught his eye. It was something coming out of a doctors office, and something that made him want to burn everything in sight. It was _him_.

_How?! _His thoughts screamed. _But he was.... I... He had to be... There's no way!_

But it was true. It was, miraculously, the man that kept Mai away from him. He was covered in bandages, and had a crutch. It made Zuko glad, but still, his entire body was trembling with anger. He wanted to jump off of Appa, and strike him one final time. But something was holding him back. He shook his head and looked down, hoping it would calm him down. He buried his hands in his hair.

"Zuko? Zuko are you okay?" Sokka asked, climbing up into the war balloon.

Thoughts swarmed in his mind. He was relieved, but stressed. He was glad, but furious.

"No." He muttered,"I'm not."

Sokka blinked,"Well what's wrong?"

Zuko jolted upwards, and pointed at the man,"Him. _That's_ what's wrong." His nostrils flared.

Sokka stared, dumbfounded. "The dude with the crutch? Why-"

"Go arrest him." Zuko commanded.

"Me? But why-"

"I'm giving you permission. Do it now."

"Zuko! I'm not doing anything until you explain why you're all scary and twitchy looking!" Sokka shouted.

"That man... He's the one who abused Mai. He hit her. He locked her in a cell, with no food, or water, all alone in the dark. He did things to her Mai wouldn't feel comfortable with even if I was the one who did it. Now _arrest him_." Zuko forced out. He swallowed down a big lump in his throat.

---

Sokka awkwardly strode up the the doctors office, and then to the man with the crutch. The man stared at him, a look of genuine confusion spreading across his face.

Sokka gulped, he could feel Zuko's eyes watching his every move. Sokka opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it, as his stare met his for a split second. Anger was beginning to subside his embarrassment. _This _was the guy? His hair was brown, and it covered the right side of his face. His eyes were dark and removed, like he was on a different planet. He looked so pathetic and empty, like the only thing close to_ love _he's ever had was Mai. He shuddered. Sokka hadn't realized his fist was flying towards the man until he was hurling to the ground. Sokka blinked, then lowered his eyebrows until his eyes looked like small splits of darkness.

"You're under arrest." Despite his anger, Sokka had always wanted to say that. But he was too furious to jump around. His voice sounded odd to him, meaner than he had intended.

The man stared at him coldly,"You don't look like an officer."

"I suggest you do what he says." Zuko snarled, making his way up to the scene.

The man's widened, and he backed up against the wall. "W-what are you doing here?!"

"What are you doing here?!" Zuko growled and stepped closer, only to be pulled back by Sokka.

Zuko stared him down, hatred pouring from his eyes. It was silent. Even the villagers were silent.

"Whoa whoa what's going on here-." Came the voice of an actual officer, breaking the silence. He opened his mouth to speak, but closed it. "Fire lord." Was all his shocked voice could get out.

"Sorry if we're causing trouble." Zuko apologized, then turned to face him,"We're leaving." Sokka blinked, then hurried to put back on his serious face. It was painfully obvious he was trying to act cool. He made a face at Zuko.

"I realized prison was too good of a punishment." Zuko said, reading his mind.

"Then what are you going to do? Kill him?" The last words made Zuko shudder.

"N-no." He cracked, then shook his head and cleared his throat. "I mean... I guess.... All I can do is lock him up." His voice cracked again, and he turned his head away to hide the tears forming up.

"Hey, it's okay. Lock him up with Azula, that's bad enough.'' Sokka said with a smirk. That made Zuko feel even worse, as a different problem made its way into his thoughts.

---

Katara stared down at the ground watching the endless forest fly by from under her. There was nothing in sight but trees. Her head was still spinning with thoughts of her and Aang. She couldn't figure out why he was acting so strange. Was it something she did? Katara knew whenever Aang was upset and she'd ask if it was about her, he would always say no and that she shouldn't worry. She missed that. Even if he was lying, she wanted to hear him say she shouldn't be upset, that everything was fine. But it wasn't. In fact, it was the opposite. She snorted.

Appa groaned, pulling Katara out of her trance.

"What is it Appa?" She asked. He groaned again, and started to make his way to the ground.

"What are you-" She stopped herself when she saw a stream getting closer and closer. "Oh, you're thirsty." As soon as Appa landed, Katara bended some water from the stream into his mouth. He groaned with joy, and rolled onto his back. Katara giggled and bended some more water into her pouch. "Feeling better?" She asked. Appa tilted his head back and looked at her. She smiled.

As soon soon as they were high enough above the ground again, Appa soared through the clouds happily. The wind breezed through his fur, and carried him faster across the sky. Katara laughed, then froze in horror when she saw what was suddenly flying towards them.

---

_This was a bad idea. _Thought Mai as she played with her fingers until the police entered the tiny, dim-lit room.

"Good to see you." Said the officer. It was a girl, about 30 or so, that had light brown hair, even lighter than Katara's. Mai nodded.

"So, you're getting flash-backs." She said. Mai nodded again.

"What have you seen so far?" The girl asked, getting out a piece of paper and an ink pen.

Mai kept her stare focused on her hands. "Well- I've seen..." She hesitated," The night I was... taken. At least, I'm pretty sure it was..."

The officer's eyes widened, and she leaned closer. "Really? Do you remember what they looked like?"

"Mmm..." Mai moaned, sounding unsure.

"It's okay if you don't remember!" She quickly interjected,"We're just trying to find out as much information as we can on these guys.... They are guys, right?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

Mai nodded,"Y-yeah, there were two guys, and they both were wearing masks, so..."

The girl bit her lip,"I was afraid of that. We've been getting a lot of reports lately of two suspicious looking guys wearing masks, mostly seen at night."

"I remember it being at night-time." Mai said.

The officer opened her mouth to speak, when the door opened.

"Sorry to interrupt Kat, but the chief needs to talk to you." Said another officer, maybe in his 20's.

Kat shot him a look that said 'You're kidding, right?'

The other officer shook his head. He gave me a look, then forced his stare back to Kat.

"It's urgent."

* * *

Stay tuned ;D ((Yes this story will end.... EVENTUALLY!!!! ** Amanda Show reference XDD ** ))


	32. Chapter 32

Thank u thank u thank u to every one who reviewed! All of your tips/praise/awesomeness inspire me! Anyway, this chapter is pretty long, grace yourselves O_O

* * *

**Chapter 31**

Mai couldn't believe what she just heard. It wasn't right. It had to be a mistake. Maybe it was a relative of his. Or someone who looked alike...? It had to be. She looked back up to Kat, who was talking. Her lips were moving but Mai heard no sound. Everything was spinning. Kat took hold of Mai's arms and shook her hard, and yelled something she couldn't comprehend. Vibrant memories were flashing in her head now, some horrible, like the time in that village where Zuko first saw the man who locked her up. And others that were perfect, one was when she was little and dropped her ice cream, so Zuko gave her his. One when they had gone to Ember Island. Mai was lying in bed, and when she woke up, she could see the reflection of Zuko getting ready in the bathroom. Her head was telling her to look away, but she couldn't. He was wearing nothing but a thin, white towel that was wrapped just below his hips. She focused on the muscles in his arms, tightening, loosening, then tightening again. Only when he reached to pull his towel off was when she forced her eyes closed, but still imagined what she could have seen.

"Mai?!" A loud shrill came from above her. She squinted against the bright lights around her, and slowly lifted her self up.

"Thank goodness you're okay. We were worried there for a second." Kat said with relief, and pulled them both onto their feet.

"What happened?" Mai mumbled, her voice slurred.

"You kind of.. fainted." Kat said with a crooked smile, then her face suddenly got serious,"And, I'm sorry about... yeah... But you shouldn't worry, I've heard rumors of the Fire Lord being very ... _protective_ of you... It's true, isn't it?" Kat asked.

Mai blinked and nodded. Something was screaming at her to roll her eyes.

Kat gave another small smile,"Well, anyways, back to the reason you really came here for. I talked to one of the doctors before the chief told me about the ... _news_... Anyway, he said that the memories should keep returning, mostly in dreams or while you're sleeping. If you keep remembering things as quickly as you are now, you could gain all of your memory back by the end of the month!" Kat exclaimed cheerfully. As if anything about this situation was cheerful. Mai struggled to pay attention to anything Kat was saying. Why was he alive? _How_ was he alive? There was so much... blood. There was no way, it had to be impossible.

"I have to go." Mai said, probably interrupting Kat was saying.

Kat blinked,"O-oh. Alright. Take it easy..." She trailed off as Mai rushed out the doors.

---

Katara gripped onto Appa's reins and swiftly guided them out of the way of the fire balls blasting towards them. She whipped the reins, causing Appa to dart forwards through the air. It was fast, but not fast enough. The piercing scream of the fire flying across the sky kept getting louder and louder until Katara knew it was too late. She whipped the reins one last time, somehow making Appa to go faster, and leaped off the backside of the saddle. She could catch a glimpse of the fire just miss Appa's tail, and was relieved, even if she was falling out of the sky. She flung herself over to reach her pouch, and felt for the cap. Her fingers were sweaty and the air was working against her, making it almost impossible to open the lid. She grunted and forced her fingers onto the cap, using all of her strength to open her pouch. She could see the ground getting closer and closer from the corner of her eye. At the last second, she somehow managed to pop open the lid. She gasped, then waterbended the water into a small ice ramp. She slid down it and onto the muddy grass, then took a huge breath. But Katara knew it wasn't over yet.

---

Mai rushed through the crowed, ignoring the stares she was getting from everyone. She just closed her eyes and kept going, as fast as she could. Even when she ran into someone she kept going.

"Mai?" Came a voice, most likely the voice that belonged to the person she had just ran into.

"Mai?!" Came the voice again. The voice belonged to a man, a much older man than she thought, who had a long gray-ish beard and golden eyes, that reminded her much of Zuko's.

"S-sorry." Mai stuttered nervously. She spun back around, only to be pulled back by him. "Who are you?" She asked, trying not to scream.

He gave a confused look. Then shook his head and laughed. Despite how angry, confused, scared, hurt, and annoyed she was, his laughter seemed to calm her down.

"You always had a great sense of humor." He said, wiping a tear from his eye.

Mai propped an eyebrow, "What do you mean?...You know me?"

The man's shoulders slowly fell, and he released her, "I did... " Mai could see that he was beginning to understand that she wasn't kidding. "I was wondering what had happened, why Zuko has been away for so long..."

"You know him?" Mai asked, shocked.

"I do. It's just been a while that we've spoken, and I grew worried. So, I came to visit from Ba Sing Se."

As soon as she heard those words, another memory flashed in her head.

She was in a small room in a large castle, with Ty Lee. Someone had just left, but she couldn't remember who.

"Finally she's gone." Ty Lee said with a sigh, throwing herself onto the bed behind her.

"What do you mean?" Mai asked.

Ty Lee rolled herself over and looked at her, "I mean... Well... I don't know, really. She's just been giving me this creepy vibe lately."

"Hmm." Mai moaned. But she actually had noticed this "vibe" as well.

Then Ty Lee suddenly gasped and sprung forwards, as if she had just remembered something.

"Guess what?!" She asked, a playful smile taking shape on her lips.

"What?" Mai asked, uninterested.

"I heard Zuko's here!" She exclaimed.

Mai could hardly keep down the excitement bubbling in her chest. He was here. _Zuko_ was here.

"What?! I mean.. You're sure?" Mai asked, trying to keep calm.

"Well, I guess I'm not positive. But I heard two guys in the city talking about how they had just seen a boy that looked exactly like the Prince! And how many guys in the world have huge scars that cover the left side of their face?!" She giggled and rolled onto her back.

Mai looked down, so her bangs covered her eyes. She hadn't seen Zuko in so long, she wondered what he looked like...

Then the memory was gone.

Mai blinked and shook her head.

"Mai? Are you feeling alright?" Came the man's voice from beside her. She felt him propping her up.

"Yeah.." She mumbled, resting the palm of her hand against her forehead.

"I assume you have a long story behind all of this...?" He asked, and smiled apologetically.

Mai snorted, "I guess you could say that."

---

Zuko stared out over the forest, pushing back the thoughts of that ...monster... He wondered what Mai was doing. If she was still mad at him. If she was thinking about him too. He thought about the time they were coming home from Ember Island. They were picked up in a ship, which was either his Father's way of saying sorry for the stupid vacation, or, this was the only thing closest to you that was coming home, so, here you go.... Zuko guessed it was number two.

Ty Lee and Azula were discussing plans, which left Mai and Zuko alone. Mai kept her eyes hidden behind her bangs until Zuko brought himself to say something.

"Mai.." He let out a sigh,"Mai I'm sorry I flipped out the other night..." He rubbed the back of his neck.

"You don't have to apologize." Mai said, and showed him one of her rare smiles that made Zuko's heart pound in his chest. He stared into her eyes for a long moment, with out saying a word. _She's the one. _The words rang in his head. Zuko knew he loved Mai more than any one else in the world, but... he'd never been so sure of it before. He swallowed hard, then brought himself closer to her. He pressed his chest against hers, wrapped his arms around her slender waist, then slammed his mouth against hers. Mai stood there, frozen. She's kissed him plenty of times before, but never like this. He took hold of her arms and held them above her head, somehow pressing himself harder against her. Mai knew she had to try focusing on something else, or else she'd make some embarrassing sound. She forced her stare to the floor, the wall, Zuko's chest... _No! _Her head shouted at her. Zuko ran his lips across her cheek, then her neck. Mai bit her lip, trying to think about anything other than Zuko's hot breath against her skin, Zuko's fingers running through her hair... Her mask was about to break. _Just calm down. _She thought to herself. Without noticing, her hands slid up his chest. She hesitated at his shoulders, desperately trying not slam her mouth against one of them. Zuko could feel her hands trembling against him. He smiled and gently bit the soft skin just below her chin. Then, she lost it. Her mouth locked against his, her hands reached under his shirt, her hips pushed up against his. Her nails dug into his shoulders, but Zuko couldn't feel it. All he could feel was the heat of her body against his.

"Zuko!" Sokka's voice yelled from behind him.

"What?" Zuko asked, taken off guard.

"Geez, that's like the one hundredth time I've yelled at you! What are you thinking about?!" Sokka asked, his eyebrows raising in suspicion.

"N-nothing. Just-" He clenched his teeth,"It's nothing."

"Then why is your face all red?" Sokka asked, a playful smirk planted on his face.

"It isn't!" Zuko yelled, his face getting redder.

Sokka rolled his eyes, "Whatever makes you happy."

Zuko groaned and turned to bury his face in his arms, but before he could, something caught his eye.

"Hey...Is that... Appa's fur?! Look-" He pointed to the white, fluffy piles of hair on the ground beneath them.

Sokka looked down, then blinked, "You're right..." He agreed. Zuko lowered the war balloon, and they both jumped to the ground. They both examined the scene for other clues of what happened. "It looks like they were ambushed..." Sokka started, shooting Zuko a worried glance.

"But from who? It doesn't look like it happened too long ago, and if they _were_ ambushed, the attackers would still be here and most likely shoot us down too." Zuko said, folding his arms. Sokka bit his lip.

"Maybe they knew Katara was coming... Maybe the trap was only meant for her... " Sokka gulped, then frowned deeply,"I'm such an idiot." He muttered to himself.

"Don't blame yourself for this." Zuko said seriously. Sokka ignored him and looked away.

"But it's true!" Sokka yelled after a couple moments of silence. "If I just forced her to stay, or convinced her to let me go with her, or..." Sokka stopped himself from saying 'or wouldn't of stopped to go to that town,' but he was afraid that would stir something in Zuko he'd regret.

"Don't act like it's the end yet. You can still find her." Zuko said gently. Sokka looked at him, there was a hint of pain in his eyes. Sokka nodded. He now felt horrible. He probably sounded like a coward or a wimp, giving up so easily. While Zuko had lost something so precious to him for so long, and still hadn't lost hope. All Sokka could do was give him a weak nod.

---

All Iroh could do was stare at Mai after hearing her story. He was more than shocked. Not only at what he heard, but because Zuko hadn't told him any of this.

"I-Iroh..?" Mai asked nervously.

He shook his head slowly, then trapped her in a hug. Mai blinked and awkwardly hugged him back.

"I'm so sorry, Mai..." Iroh said, leaning back and wiping his eye.

"Me too.. I-I mean, since Zuko kept it all from you..." She played with her fingers nervously.

"It's alright... I understand he's busy, and must have been very depressed by your absence... but..." Mai could tell he was hurt.

Iroh sniffed, shook his head, then smiled,"Sorry, it's nothing. It's getting late, I should walk you back home-"

Mai's eyes widened," T-the palace is fine." She interjected quickly. She didn't know why, but she couldn't face her parents right now. She needed to sort things out first.

"Alright then." Iroh agreed and smiled hesitantly, then lead them both back to the palace.

---

"Mai!" Came the cheery and worried voice of Ty Lee. She ran up and slammed into Mai, wrapping her arms around her. "I'm so glad you're here! You'll never guess what-" Ty Lee blinked when she saw Iroh. "I-Iroh! It's so good to see you again!" She said and grinned. It had been a long time since they'd seen each other. Iroh grinned back, "It is good to see you as well," He bowed slightly, "Ty Lee."

She shook her head, "Oh yeah! As I was saying, Ursa left!"

Mai's eyes widened and Iroh propped an eyebrow, "You didn't know?" He asked.

"No! She left again! And-"

"Why did she leave?!" Mai yelled.

"We don't know! We just told her Zuko's leaving with Sokka to go find Katara and she ran off! So Toph ran after her and I stayed behind to tell you." Ty Lee explained frantically. Mai looked down, lost in thought.

Iroh stroked his beard, "I'm assuming Zuko found her?"

Ty Lee turned to him, "Yes, he did... He didn't tell you...?"

Iroh nodded, "No he didn't..." Then he muttered something they couldn't comprehend. It sounded like _I think I know why.._

"There isn't time to worry about this, we have to go!" Mai interrupted the two, and dragged them both out the doors.

---

Katara ran and ducked behind a tree, as two more balls of fire were shot at her. She groaned and caught her breath, gracing herself for another explosion. She bit her lip, _this is enough_, She thought. If she didn't face whoever this was, this would never end. Katara leaped out from behind the tree and dashed closer to where the fire balls were coming from. She dodged each blast, missing some explosions by mere inches. She ran and ran, but the fireballs kept coming. _This could be a trap, _Katara thought. But she didn't care. She had to find Aang. She kept running until she reached a huge mountain, with steam rising from the top. The smell of ashes was getting stronger and stronger. _Firenation_. She used to dread the word. But now, she wasn't so worried about walking right into their trap. Whoever it was, they couldn't be more than rebels or punks that just happen to disagree with an heir of peace and balance. So, she kept running. By the time Katara was getting close to the wall of the mountain, her legs were aching and she was about to collapse. She somehow managed to keep running, and gasped when she was a blue flame coming towards her. Katara reflected it with some water pulled by the grass beneath her, then looked to see if it was who she thought it was.

"You really are an idiot. You realize you just walked into a huge trap, don't you? And don't think you'll be getting out so easily, either. Even the Avatar himself hasn't been able to get out yet." Came the sly, hideous voice of Azula from behind her. She laughed hoarsely, shooting another flame at Katara that knocked her against the rocky wall. She grunted, then dusted herself off.

"What do you even want with him?!" Katara screamed at her, "_You've lost_, Azula. And capturing the Avatar will do _nothing_ to help you win!"

Azula snarled at her, "Really?! You seem pretty confident about that. I guess you'll have to see him for yourself!" She shot another flame at Katara, which sent her flying back into the side of the mountain. Katara recovered in a flash, then whipped a stream of water from the ground, then flew it towards Azula. She pushed herself back with a blast of fire, then shot another blast towards Katara. They both kept reflecting and shooting and falling, but neither gave up. Katara realized this wouldn't end, so she decided to try something new. She bended water from the tree Azula was standing in front of, and swatted a branch at her, causing her to fall to the ground. Azula growled at her then steadied herself. She took a deep breath, then yelled, "Akane!" Katara blinked with confusion, then yelped as the ground beneath her began to shake.

"Meet my friend, Akane. He's a former Dai Lee agent." Azula said with a smirk. Katara gasped as two hands made of earth flew towards her, trapping her against the wall.

_It's over now_, both Katara and Azula thought in unison.


	33. Chapter 33

Since I haven't really replied to your comments lately, I guess I'll do it naow :3 Tell me if you really care about me actually replying to you instead of just saying "Thanks for the comments" or something like that :] Cuz if nobody really cares then I'll just stop replying, cuz, it's really hard D:

**Reviews for ch. 32**

jennedy--

**WHOA. You're obviously a really prolific writer. Rock on. I feel like Mai's been a little OOC throughout, but that's just part of the way this story has to be for the plot to work at all, so I forgive you.**

** ~jennedy~**

Thanks :D Well, wouldn't you be a little out of character if you didn't remember what your character is? XD lol

Kimjuni2--

**Ahh i love it, really awesome job, mai's memories getting faster back^-^ i just love this chapter, awesome job, update soon and i will be R&R ofcourse xD**

Why yes she is :O and thanks xD

gloomy maiko lover--

**this was great I loved this and really like the Maikoness xD nd this is getting intersting can't wait to know what happens next and can't wait till you pdate hope you update soon and can't wait till Mai and zuko meet again and so I'll be R&R as soon as I can and you did a great,awsome job. and like long chapters and can't wait,andcan't wait till more Maikoness,loved this and judt can't wait and again great job. xD XD**

Thank you ^^ Only like 2 or 3(at the most) more chapters and I want to give her memory back D:

kataangismyworld--

**This is the best story i've read yet, but could you try to update more often? No offense, but everybody updates WAY more often than you. but great story, i just want some more kataang in it (i can't get enough kataang). write on!**

Really? Thanks :D Sorry, I'm just really busy with school and videos and other fics and stuff :P And if you want more kataang, _keep reading _;3

____________

**Chapter 33**

"Twins," the doctor had told Suki. She smiled and rested a hand over her stomach. She got two tiny nudges in response. Her smile grew wider. _Wow... _She thought. Suki could only imagine the look on Sokka's face when he heard he was going to be the father of twins. She chuckled, then swung her legs over the side of her bed. Suki already felt guilty for scolding Sokka a few days earlier. She knew he was honestly just worried for her, and just didn't show it in a very... _considerate _way. And now he was gone, before they could make up. She wondered how long it would be until they were reunited. Would this trip be a day? A few days? A few weeks? She sighed, then pushed herself up out of bed then out of her room. It was time to train.

---

A beam of light shot through the window and into Katara's eyes. She groggily lifted her head and tried to walk forward, only to be pulled back by the wall she was chained to. She groaned and tried to shake free, but it was no use. What did they want her for? And what did Azula mean when she said those things about Aang? She frowned, then took note of her surroundings. A small metal room with a tiny window on the opposite wall from her, with bars covering it. Katara blew a piece of stray hair out of her face, then gasped as the door across from her started to part open.

"Finally, awake." Said a deep voice. A man around his 40's walked in, and unhooked her shackles from the wall. He tied her handcuffs to a chain he was holding, then lead her outside.

"What do you want with me?" She asked, trying to keep her voice down.

"Nothing, really. Lord Azula ordered me to bring you to watch us test our new experiment." He explained in a restrained monotone.

"Lord Azula.." Katara scoffed under her breath.

They eventually came to a huge dome shaped mound of metal, with a giant cage in the center. Katara propped an eyebrow, then froze when the scene came into view. Aang's arms were held out on each side of him, and they were tied to shiny ropes. The ropes were connected to a short pillar that stuck out in the middle of the cage. On top of the pillar, an odd, egg-shaped stone was placed.

"What are you... What exactly are you planning to do?!" Katara shouted at the man, who ignored her and tied her to a different wall.

She scowled when the evil form of Azula came around the corner. She was sitting on a chair decorated in crystals that was being carried by two other men, also in their 40's. She also noticed that the Dai-Lee agent from before was walking behind her, arms folded and head ducked. She scowled harder.

"Thank you, Ryu." Azula said in an evil voice. She cracked a smile, that seemed to crack the wrest of her face.

Ryu bowed, "My pleasure, Lord Azula."

Azula then waved her hand, gesturing Ryu to move away, "Leave the girl be, Ryu, give her her space." _As if she doesn't know my name_, Katara thought.

He nodded then took a step back, leaving Katara by herself. She tried to keep her poise when Azula stared her down. Her smile faded to a grimace.

Azula lifted herself out of the jewel covered chair and headed towards the pillar with the egg-shaped stone on top. She turned around and face Katara.

"I bet you're wondering why you're here." Azula started, her voice sending shivers down Katara's spine. She kept quiet.

"Well, this stone you see here... I'll just give a demonstration." She cracked another smile, and turned around. Azula snapped and a blue flame emerged from her finger tips. She placed her hand over the stone, and it started to glow a faint blue-ish color. Katara blinked. The stone continued to glow, then suddenly the blue started to flicker. It kept flickering faster and faster. A few seconds later, lightning began to surround the stone, and raced down the metal rope that was connected to Aang. Katara gasped, "_No!_" But it was too late. She stared in horror, expecting to see Aang either burst into flames or be violently electrocuted... But, nothing happened. Instead, the lightning mixed into his tattoos, and his eyes opened and glowed light blue. Katara stared in shock. The chains holding him to the circular wall evaporated into nothingness, and he lightly jumped onto the cold ground. He stood completely still, then turned to look at Katara. His features were relaxed but alert. His eyebrows pressed together, and a frown was planted on his face.

Something was wrong. He wasn't himself. He wasn't even his avatar state self.

This was someone Katara had never seen before.

---

The two boys hurried towards the huge mountain.

"Sokka, we shouldn't just barge in like this! Even if you don't care that it's a trap, this isn't worth it!" Zuko yelled and pulled Sokka back by the arm. Sokka groaned in frustration, then sighed,"I know. It's just that every second we're out here..she's with _her._" Sokka caught himself, remembering he sworn to stop complaining.

"I know what you mean." Zuko muttered and turned to examine the mountain. There were two heaps of dirt and mud on either side, where two heaps of dirt and mud shouldn't be.

"That's weird..." Zuko moaned to himself. Sokka frowned.

"It isn't an entrance, if that's what you're thinking. It wouldn't be that obvious." He looked away and folded his arms.

"We need to come up with a plan-"

"We'll come up with the plan as we go." Sokka cut him off. He hated talking about battle plans now that the war was over, especially if it was regarding the life of his sister. He also just hated the thought of sitting around and talking, while they could be out fighting.

Zuko's brows pinched together. They were getting on each other's nerves.

"Look Sokka, if you want to barge in there like an idiot and get captured right away, losing pretty much all hope of finding Katara, be my guest. I know it's hard to sit around and do nothing while someone important to you is most likely being tortured as much as the next guy, but we can't just charge in there with no plan whatsoever. So sit down and think!" Zuko said in a harsh tone. He shoved Sokka onto a log, forcing him to think up a plan.

He blinked a couple of times, then put on his "thinking of a plan face." Zuko sat in front of him, impatiently waiting for an "OOH!" or an "I've got it!"

A couple silent moments passed (except for the occasional croaks of frog-lizards) then, it finally came.

"I know what to do! We'll walk in the normal, easiest entrance," He pointed to the cave leading into the enormous mountain, "And tell the guards that we'reeee... back from our break! Yeah! And if they ask twice, we'll show 'em who's boss, ZUSOKKA STYLE!" Sokka raised his arms above his head for emphasis, then coughed awkwardly when Zuko said nothing and glared at him. "A-and then, we can steal their uniforms, kind of like at the Boiling Rock, but better! Be-"

"Better?" Zuko scoffed, "They better have some pretty good masks if we even want to _think_ about Azula not noticing us."

Sokka raised a finger to backfire why or how it could work, but nothing came to mind, and his finger slowly fell.

"True..." Sokka sighed, "I don't think there is going to be some trick or creative way of doing it this time, we just have to_ do it_. Once we steal the uniforms, we just have to be super stealthy and try to blend in as much as we can. We'll dig around for answers from the guards, then, we'll meet up and think of what to do next."

Zuko reached up to cup his chin, deep in thought. It wasn't a plan, yet it was. And it just might work.

"If you really think it'll work, idea guy." Zuko said, and they both gave nervous smiles.

---

Toph pushed the mound of earth beneath her as fast as she could. _I'm not going to let this chick bale on him. Not again... Not after all he's been through... Not again!_

She kept pushing until her legs were so sore she couldn't feel them, just the rhythmic pattern of earth being pushed and pulled under her scarred feet. She finally released the mound to stop and take a breath. She flew onto the ground and panted, loudly enough to make the small rabbit-mice and squirrel-skunks scurry out of their homes and into the brush.

"How-is-she-going-so-fast..?" Toph mumbled to herself in between breaths. She swallowed, then got back up and steadied herself. She could still hear the extra rumbles in the wind from Ursa's balloon. Toph cracked her knuckles, then took off at full speed towards it.

---

"How are we suppose to get there?" Mai asked to the small group after they bolted out of the palace.

"I thought you knew!" Ty Lee shouted.

"We can go by war balloon or ship." Iroh interjected, a calm smile on his face.

They were quiet for a moment.

"Toph told me she was headed east of here into the forest, that that's where Ursa was." Ty Lee said in a forced calm voice. Mai didn't hesitate before they were bolting towards a war balloon.

"But wait." Mai interrupted the three from running. "Won't it be too noticeable? Katara was traveling by air and she was shot down, which means they have their eyes on the sky."

Despite the serious situation, Ty Lee couldn't help but smile. Mai was starting to get her old self back by the minute.

"Maybe... but, we do not have the proper amount of time. If we want to catch up with Toph, Ursa, _and_ rescue Katara, and maybe even Zuko and Sokka if they were not prepared, we will have to leave now." Iroh explained, and started to walk towards the empty war balloon just a few feet ahead.

Ty Lee nodded, and ran up behind Iroh. Mai tried to imitate, but she was frozen. What if they _had _captured Zuko? And just what are they up against? It could just be a group of bored, lowlifes that had nothing better to do than to join Azula. But, in the back of her mind, she knew it was more than that. She gritted her teeth and finally ran up to meet them.

---

The first part of the plan had been easy. The guards could as well of been turkey-ducks.

"Erm.. we're here to.. polish the prisoner's cells." Sokka had sputtered to the large yet stupid guards, not sure if there even were prisoners or cells in the first place.

The uniforms were simple, and covered just the right amount of skin for a chance of nobody noticing that the Fire Lord and a war hero were making their way into a enemie's base. They both ran passed the knocked out guards and down a long, narrow hall. The walls were made of metal, and old Fire Nation decor were randomly spread here and there. Zuko ignored the urges to burn every single one of the old Fire Nation emblems as they rushed down more metal halls. The more they ran, the more loudly muffled voices became. They slowed their pace to a walk, hoping to blend in with whatever atmosphere it may turn into. They eventually came to an open, circular room that was made of earth instead of metal. Three more Fire Nation flags hung from either side of the walls, and in the center were ashes (probably ashes that belonged to the three other nation's flags.)

"This is her alright." Zuko muttered, more to himself than Sokka. They were interrupted by a loud, shrieking noise coming from the next hall way. It sounded like a scream... It sounded like Katara. Sokka and Zuko exchanged worried glances before taking off at full speed down the next hallway. The screaming became louder and louder, then suddenly stopped. Had anyone noticed them? Zuko looked to the right while Sokka checked the left for any suspicious faces, but they were still alone. They kept running until the hallway came to another room, this one much larger than the room before. They searched the room for Katara, and gasped when the scene clearly came into view. Aang was hovering over Katara, tattoos glowing and all. His brows pressed inward, and his mouth twitched. He had felt their presence. Sokka ground his teeth, and he clenched his fists. Just what was Aang doing? Why was Katara screaming like that? She seemed unharmed. Katara quickly noticed something in Aang changed, that he somehow seemed even edgier than before. Aang turned his head to look at the intruders, and Katara followed his stare. Her eyes widened and a wave of relief passed through her. She was about to call out to them, when Zuko put a finger to his lips. Katara slammed her mouth shut and nodded quickly, then turned to look back up at Aang. His hands were in fists, and his knuckles were white. Sokka frowned.

"What the hell was he doing to her?" He growled. Zuko shushed him.

"She looks ok, just... weaker... Try to focus on that. It could of been much worse." He encouraged to the young, angry warrior.

"I know that!" Sokka hissed, "Just... it's.. it's Aang! What is he doing-"

"He might be being controlled. He isn't acting like himself." Zuko tried to calm him down, when something caught his eye.

"Is that... no..." It was. It was the same egg he had picked up at the Sun Warrior's temple. The thing they held most dear other than the dragons. The thing that had felt... alive... had it been?

He shook his head and focused back on Aang, who hadn't looked down since they arrived.

"Why is he stopping?!" Shrieked Azula from the corner of the room. She was tucked away just enough to not be able to see them. "What is he staring at?! Ryu, make him start torturing her again immediately!" She stamped her foot on the metal floor.

Zuko took hold of Sokka's arm and ran them both to the other side of the room. Aang's glare followed them the entire way.

"He's gonna blow our cover!" Sokka yelled through clenched teeth.

"We're going to be noticed soon anyway! Just right now, try to keep quiet until we know just what exactly is going on." Zuko hushed, and looked back towards the scene.

The Dai-Lee agent tied a strap around Aang's arm, then started for the egg-shaped stone that rested on a pillar. He pushed a metal button in front of the stone, that made it glow a bright red. The strap around Aang's arm also turned red, and slowly, his tattoos and eyes did as well. His stare was finally pulled away from the two and put back on Katara. She backed away from him and slammed her eyes shut.

"Aang, please snap out of it!" She screamed, and clenched her stomach. Aang ignored her and raised his arms above his head, gathering a ball of bright red energy.

"No.." Sokka moaned without realizing it.

"AANG!" Katara screamed in protest when his arms shot halfway down, and the ball of energy blasted towards her. His arm outstretched towards her, and the energy surrounded Katara in a frenzy. She began to scream again as Azula smirked and folded her arms.

Zuko and Sokka watched in terror from the corner, not believing what they were seeing. Suddenly, Sokka pounded a fist to the ground, which caused the whole room to tremble. It even distracted the Avatar, and caused Azula to shoot a look towards them. Her angry scowl turned to a sly grin. Katara caught her breath while she could.

"So, you finally came." Azula snickered, and snapped. As quickly as she snapped, a short servant speed towards her side with a tray of tarts and water. She picked up a fruit tart then waved him off, sending a small smirk towards Zuko. He felt a stinging sensation in his chest, and frowned deeply. He knew what she was trying to do. But it wouldn't work. Not this time.

"Well," Azula started, not minding at all that her mouth was full, "Since you so cleverly got all the way here.." Her voice was sarcastic and bored. She licked her fingers then shot them another look, "I guess I'll explain whats going on."

Zuko and Sokka exchanged another worried glance, not quite sure if they _wanted_ to know.


	34. Chapter 34

Reviews on next chappie! (by the way, I'm gonna keep replying to your reviews ;D) But for now, thanks so much for your kind comments :33

OH and also, this chapter might not be as detailed as I would like because my neighbors are blasting the same song over and over again and I

don't think they'll stop any time soon :D (the song is REALLY REALLY annoying D:)

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** Ch. 34**

The air whipped through Mai's hair as the three sped through the skies, following the trail Toph had -accidentally- made for them. She looked down at her sweaty palms, and took a deep breath. What was she so worried about?

"Azula," Ty Lee had mentioned before, "Is Zuko's sister. A while back, we kind of.... Well, you will remember soon. Anyway, she's kind of insane because of us... Especially because of Zuko and Ursa."

_Azula... _The name rang in her head. It sent shivers down her spine, and it made her arms shake with nervousness. It also sent a twinge of rage throughout her body. What had she done to Azula?...What had Azula done to her? Also, why did she feel so worried when she thought about Zuko facing her? She shook away her nervousness, and tried focusing on the huge mountain Toph's trail lead up to. Mai began to wonder what everyone's lives would be like after today.

---

_Just a bit longer! _Toph thought, trying to encourage her tired feet. The whips in the wind from Ursa's balloon were getting louder and louder. At this rate, she'd end up passing the war balloon. She groaned, and stopped pushing the ground beneath her. Instead, she formed a large, pointed stone in front of her, then sent it flying towards the balloon. In a matter of seconds, Toph heard the balloon pop, then whirl towards the ground. She sent another stone beneath where Ursa would land, then blasted herself forwards when she felt Ursa land in the dome she created. Toph hovered over her, caught her breath, then scowled.

"How could you leave him again?!" Toph shouted, exasperated.

It took Ursa a few seconds to recollect herself, then she asked, "What?" Toph frowned at the confusion in her voice.

"Look, I know it must be rough for you, coming back to everyone after such a long time, but you don't just leave! You know how devastated Zuko will be when he hears you left him _again_?! Don't you-"

"I'm not leaving him." Ursa broke in, her voice showing a hint of irritation.

Toph blinked, "You're... But you're... Then what are you doing?!"

Ursa frowned, "I'm going to find him, I heard he was going to visit Azula. I need to talk to her. I'm sorry if you got the wrong idea..."

Toph was still for a moment, then let out a heavy sigh and tucked her hair behind her ear.

"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have freaked out on you. It's just that Zuko's so important to me, and I just flipped when I heard you say you were leaving." The young girl explained timidly, and kicked her foot back and forth.

Ursa smiled, "It's alright. I should have explained myself more clearly, especially since you _are_ the greatest earth bender in the world."

Toph beamed and Ursa chuckled.

"I guess we both made mistakes," Toph started, pulling Ursa off of the ground, "Let's go find those two hot heads."

---

Suki tied her hair back, and took another fighting stance. She had been training all day, and she was now going into the night. She eyed her opponent (A punching bag with a drawing of Azula for a head) then slammed her fist into it. To her delight, it sprung backwards, and tumbled to the floor.

"That's whatcha get for 'messin with a Kyoshi Warrior." Suki muttered, trying to pull off the best "swamp" accent she could. (She never really got over Azula attacking her village the day she had found Appa.)

She started to pick the punching bag back up, when she heard something in the next room crash. She froze, then listened for any more sounds. It was quiet for a few seconds, then as soon as Suki began to pick the bag up again, she heard footsteps.

She immediately took action and leaped down the hallway, then slammed open the door where she heard the intruder.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Suki demanded, pointing a finger at the middle aged man backing up against the wall.

He gulped and cleared his throat, "I-I was sent here! I'm sorry! Please forgive me!" The man pleaded, and fell to his knees.

Suki propped an eyebrow, "Who sent you here?" She asked seriously.

"I'm sorry, I can't say! They told me they'd hurt my family if I told or didn't obey them!"

Two certain people sprung into Suki's mind. She sighed.

"Listen, whoever it is will _not_ hurt your family, you can be sure of that. Please just explain what you came here for." She said, folding her arms. It almost made her disappointed that it hadn't turned into a fight, it had been so long.

The man gulped, then played with his fingers. It was obvious he didn't quite trust her yet.

"W-well... They told me to come here and look for..." Suki caught a hint of his expression before he looked down. His eyes were filled with guilt.

"They told me to come here and look for the Fire Lord, I'm sorry! I wouldn't ever do anything like this, ever, ma'am! It's just that they said-"

"I know, I know." Suki cut him off, sounding as calm as she could manage. "It'll be alright. Please just tell me who it is that sent you here, I promise they won't get within a mile of your family."

There was a hint of cheerfulness in her voice that made the man a bit less nervous.

"Well, it's a man. He's about 10 or so years younger than I am... He didn't trust me with his name, either that or he doesn't have one." He explained. Suki tapped her chin, when it suddenly became clear.

---

The air in the room was tense. Whenever Zuko peered out of the corner of his eye, he saw each guard staring down the two of them, as if they were waiting for something to happen. The silence caused by the evilness of Azula's plan was growing unbearable.

"This stone," She had told them, "Isn't just a stone. It just so happens that it holds the world's only dragon." Zuko scoffed, then glared at her. There was that same "off-ness" in her eyes, like the time he and Katara had taken her down at the Fire Nation. Zuko could tell the dragon's egg was her lifeline, if anyone took it from her, or -worst case scenario- it broke, she would crack.

She told them that she had done research on the embryo, and found _interesting_ things. For instance, if dragons experience fire bending before birth, they will respond to the element with fear and obedience.

"Which means I can actually have something to trust for the first time in my life.." Azula had muttered, sending a deadly look towards Zuko.

The rest of the plan had sounded like a fairytale. Supposedly, when you mix lighting into the egg, it creates a powerful energy source, and that _that's_ what is controlling Aang.

"That can't be true..." Sokka moaned to himself.

Zuko just gritted his teeth, thinking of all the horrible things Azula could do with this discovery.

Just before things could get any more tense, two guards burst through the doors.

"Lord Azula, I'm afraid we have some bad news." One started, the other one panting for breath.

"Well speak!" Azula demanded.

They stood up and patted down their clothes.

"We've spotted an unidentified war balloon and a large cloud of dust heading right towards us. We aren't quite sure what the cloud of dust is, but we're sure that the war balloon isn't a friend to us." The first guard explained.

"Permission to shoot, Lord Azula?" The other piped up.

Azula only smiled, "Let them come, and treat them as _guests_."

Zuko froze. He knew exactly who it was. His head was immediately filled with thoughts of how Azula would react to the people that caused her "_insane-ness"_ showing up.

_Damn, why couldn't you all just stay out of this? _

TO BE CONTINUED ;D

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YES I KNOW IT'S SHORT, BUT I WANTED TO MAKE ONE CHAPTER FOR THE DRAMA SPECIFICALLY!

SO KEEP READING :D


	35. Chapter 35

**Reviews- [for ch. 33 & 34]  
**

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_**Melizza-XoXo-**_

AH!

Bad words-"To be continued..."  
*Sigh* but it does increase the suspense, so I'll live. Maybe. Short, but yet again flawless. I can't wait for the next chapter *twitch,twitch*

-xo.

**Yes I know, I hate teh words too -___-' But I had to save all the drama-y-ness for this chapter :D**

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_**Gloomy Maiko Lover-**_

this was good..can't wait for the next chapter so I'll be R&R as soon as I can so good job. xD

**Thank you for reading :33**

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**_Kimjuni2_**

Omg now i really wanna read the next chapter, awesome job xD

**Teehee :D Thanks ^^**

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_**Ellice Rose**_

Please please PLEASE write more. I can't get enough of your story. I am dying to read more. B/c of your fic, I have a new-found respect for Mai :) also I'm really concerned with whats happening with Aang and Katara...  
I can't wait...really I can't. Please write more.  
...hahah  
--Ellice

**I shall ;D And thank you :33**

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_**Melizza-XoXo-**_

Wow. I just read this entire story in the past few hours. One of the best fics I've ever had the pleasure to read throughout any fandom. I'm completly obsessed now =]  
Definently the best post-war story EVER!

Thank you for writing this! Everyone is so in character, and the romance, action, and drama all ties in together beautifully...

Cliffhanger! Azula is a hag ** from hell!  
PLEASE more soon?

-xo.

**O_O Thank you so much :D Tis comments liek this that inspire me ^^ & Thanks for ...being...obsessed with my fic...? xD**

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**_monkeycheeseforall_**-

this is the best chapter yet! this story is definatly (idk if i spelled that right! lol!) the best on any fanfiction site, i really have been to them all! write on! WOOT!

**Thanks :D I spent a lot of time on this one ^^' And really?? o__o Thank you! xD**

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_**FireladyMai-**_

Yay mai will get her memorie back in a few chapters, i so love this one, the end will make you write it, cause i wanna read the next one xD so update soon and i'll be R&R!

**Yes, tis yay xD I miss writing Maiko fluff :'{ Tear** Thanks for reading X33**

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_**Kimjuni2-**_

WHOA i love this one, and that egg thing from the sunwarriors :D anyway i so love this chapter. I readed that mai will get her memorie back in 2 or 3 more chapters, can't wait, zuko still must propose. Anyway great job, i'll be R&R!

**Thanks :3 I feel liek they threw in that egg thing in the Firebending Masters ep. just for me :DD xD And yeah, I can't wait to write about Mai remembering everything FINALLY 'xD**

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**_Gloomy Maiko Lover-_**

first off you can reply back to are reviews if you want it's up to you...and no just 2 or 3 chapter's more no well hope their good..and I liked this it's intersting and you did a great,awsome job. so can't wait to know what happens next and can't wait till you update hope you update soon so I'll be R&R as soon as I can and again liked this and again great job. can't wait xD xD

**I shall xD And thank you so much ^^**

* * *

*****Takes deep breath

NOW story tiemz :D

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**Chapter 35**

The war balloon was finally ceasing in speed, and the sun was slowly rising higher into the sky. The long, stressful night from before had left the three silent, enjoying the feel of the warm sun heating up their skin. Mai had a feeling in the back of her head that she should have slept while she could, like Ty Lee and Iroh had. But she also knew she probably couldn't have even if she had tried. Those thoughts of Zuko's sister were still fresh in her mind. Memories of a cold, heartless fifteen-year-old preparing to rip Mai to shreds was replaying over and over in her head. She remembered glancing in her enemy's eyes, golden and sharp, like Zuko's. Staring into those eyes sent shivers down her spine, much different than staring into Zuko's eyes. Even with the scar, staring into Zuko's eyes was like jumping into a happy, golden pool of love compared to Azula's eyes.

"Look!" Ty Lee shouted, breaking the comforting silence and snapping Mai out of her trance. "It's Zuko's war balloon! If they made it without being shot down, we can too!"

"It might not be so easy, young one." Iroh interjected, scanning the ground beneath them while stroking his beard, "Zuko's been practicing for years at being stealthy and hidden. You don't know exactly how they made it there."

Ty Lee frowned and tapped her chin, "Then what should we do?"

"For now, let's land and approach by foot." Iroh said and released some fire from the war balloon. It slowly reached the ground with a thump, then the three swiftly (for Iroh it was more like roughly) jumped out and onto the grass. The trail Toph had left for them had stopped just ahead.

"Looks like we're the last ones here." Mai noted as they made their way towards the mountain.

"I hope everyone's okay..." Ty Lee mumbled only loud enough for the two to hear.

Mai saw Iroh clench his jaw from the corners of her eyes. She nervously looked away when their eyes met.

"I wonder why Azula chose this place. Usually she chose places that weren't this secluded. She-"

"She isn't herself. I remember Azula being strong and brave, and she is nothing of the sort anymore. When Zuko and Katara took her down at the royal palace, she lost the only side of herself that went to good use. Her strength. Even though she used it in a dishonorable way, her power was always something to admire." Iroh interjected. He sounded restrained.

Mai frowned, strongly disagreeing with every word that came out of his mouth. She hated Azula. She wasn't afraid to say it, either. She wondered what must have happened between them that made her so angry whenever she even heard the name...

---

Aang's eyes soared over Katara's body, as if he were looking to see if he had missed a spot. The more Zuko and Sokka stared, they noticed red soars along her arms and legs. Sokka clenched his fists, "Zuko... I don't want you to take her down."

Zuko blinked and spun to face him, "What?!"

"Because," Sokka continued, as if he hadn't said anything, "I am."

Zuko hardly resisted the urge to laugh. He felt mean, but Sokka deserved it if he was even thinking he could beat Azula with no bending, while Zuko barely managed to when he had his bending at tenfold.

"What's funny?" Sokka asked through gritted teeth, sending him a glare from the corner of his eyes.

"What do you mean _what's funny?_ I mean, Sokka, I know what you're feeling right now, but... You can't possibly-"

"I can't possibly what?" Sokka asked, now turning to face Zuko.

Zuko frowned, "Sokka, you know."

He opened his mouth to fire something back, but instead snapped it shut and turned around. Zuko knew there was nothing left to say, and turned back to Azula. She was -of course- glaring at him. _Had she heard?! _His head automatically panicked.

"Shin!" She screamed, making Zuko jump back.

A man in his early twenties stepped out from the back of the room.

"Yes, my lord?" He asked. His voice and the way he spoke made him sound ten years older than he was.

"I want you to go follow those two idiots and make sure they aren't doing anything _too ridiculous_ with our guests." Azula said in a bored yet strict voice. Zuko took notice how she separated the words "too ridiculous." What did she mean? Were those guards used to have anything to do with the place Mai was taken?

Zuko's head snapped up at the thought.

"I also want you to make sure Ebisu knows just who will be visiting." Azula finished, snapping again for more fruit tarts.

Shin nodded, and said, "Yes, my lord," before backing out the hallway.

The silence (despite the chewing from Azula) that followed was unbearable. All Zuko could think about was what was happening to Mai, and all Sokka could think about was what was happening to Katara.

"Tell us." Sokka's voice suddenly boomed through the metal room.

Zuko blinked, and Azula just glared at him.

"Tell you what?" She asked, obviously trying to sound as innocent as possible.

Sokka huffed silently and took a step forward, "You know what! Why are you doing this to Katara?! You already know that your little plan worked, why carry on like this?!"

Azula's sarcastic smile turned to a scowl.

_"Because she deserves it!"_ Her voice bellowed through the room, banging off the walls and echoing in everyone's heads.

"Why does she deserve this?" Sokka went on. Zuko sent him a wary look.

Azula snarled at him, "Because she's a disgusting little water wench who deserves it! She took everything from me... And look at her, not a hint of guilt in those eyes at all!"

_So that's what this is about, _Zuko thought. She wants people to feel for her.

"I don't need anyone's sympathy." Zuko remembered her once saying. Lies, he thought.

Azula saw a change in Zuko's look and snapped her head away. _If Azula just wants people to feel for her then... why not just stay at the asylum?_ He thought. He remembered all everyone really doing at the institution where Azula was held was sweet talk and encourage the patients. He continued,_ and also, if you want people to feel for you... you definitely don't do _this_ to them. _

---

Ursa and Toph sped their way through the rest of the forest, and eventually made it to the mountain. There was an entrance way with disregarded clothes on the ground.

Toph propped an eyebrow, "Is that what I think it is..?"

Ursa ignored her, "No guards... That's strange...Right..?"

Toph nodded, "It is for Azula." They cautiously entered into the huge mound of earth. Toph kept her hands in a fighting stance, and her feet and ears alert. Ursa just followed behind, glancing back every now and then making sure there wasn't anyone after them. It felt strange to Ursa to be so..._ worried_ in a place owned by her own daughter. In Zuko's palace, it was so warm and friendly. Here, it was so... cold and scary. It reminded Ursa of the difference between the two. She loved them both, of course. They _were _her children. It just may have seemed other wise to Azula because Ursa honestly had no idea how to reach out to her. Any offer of a bedtime story or a game of hide and seek or even a hug would result in a "I'm busy preparing myself for my training tomorrow," or a "Those silly games are a waste of my time." Whereas Zuko would drop whatever it was he was doing to hug his mother whenever she entered the room, even if he had his friends over. Who could blame her for wanting to spend a bit more time with her son? His face flashed in her mind, his scar. She felt horrible guilty for leaving him with that monster. She wished anything to go back and bring Zuko with her, even if it would've changed the fate of the world. Of course, the place she ended up in wasn't much better than living with Ozai.

"So," Toph interrupted, trying to distract Ursa from the thoughts she must be having, "Do you have any fighting skills? Like Mai, how she used the daggers, or Suki, who uses fans?"

Ursa played with her fingers, "Well.. not exactly...I can throw things at people..." It ended sounding like a question.

Toph smiled, "So like Mai?"

"No, I mean I can throw things at people. Like plates."

Toph stared at her. Her expression seemed to say _"you gotta be kidding me."_

"Well I guess that's a good skill... That anyone can do..." The earth bender said sarcastically.

Ursa sighed, "I know I should of practiced some kind of skill while I was away, but throwing plates at people was really the only option at the time... Since I worked in the kitchen." Toph noticed how she shuddered at the mention of the place. She felt bad for bringing it up.

"It's alright, you won't need to fight. I'm here!" Toph said confidently. Ursa chuckled and rolled her eyes. She always brightened the mood, no matter what the situation.

They continued down the hallways and came to a huge metal chamber. Ursa gasped and stumbled backwards when she saw Azula. She was sitting on a thrown, made with what looked like gold and jewels. Her expression was a mix of anger and pity.

"My..." She mumbled to herself, "Look at her... Look what I've done..."

Toph spun around, "Hey, don't talk like that! It wasn't your fault." She harshly whispered.

"But she's so beautiful..." Ursa continued as if she hadn't heard anything.

Toph sighed and took a hold of her arm, this time gaining Ursa's full attention.

"Maybe you should hide here for awhile. If Azula sees you now... it could be ugly." Toph explained in a rushed, yet sympathetic tone.

Ursa nodded hesitantly, then watched as Toph casually strode into the middle of the scene.

---

Mai, Iroh, and Ty Lee continued passed the trail made from Toph, getting closer to the mountain.

"I'm getting kind of nervous," Mai mumbled as she looked behind them.

"Why?" Ty Lee asked cheerfully, as if going to your insane enemie's hidden lair was an average everyday thing.

"Well, because they haven't attacked us yet and we're so close-" Just then, the three were swooped backwards by strong arms, and flung onto the ground.

_"Of course.."_ Mai felt like muttering.

Iroh jumped back and struck a fighting stance, "Who are you?" Mai had never heard him sound so scary before.

"We were just about to ask." One of the men said. The two that attacked them were wearing red, black, and gold uniforms and masks that were similar to the ones used in the Fire Nation's army.

"You think it's them?" The other asked. He flipped up a plate on his mask, revealing his eyes. He glared them down.

"Probably." The other muttered, and roughly picked the two off the ground. Iroh made a move to bend, only to be trapped in a large pile of rocks. Ty Lee reached out to pound her fists into them, but one of the earth benders enchased her hand in a stone. Mai made an attempt to throw a dagger, hoping by some miracle they would be trapped, but she missed, horribly. They only laughed in response.

"Hey!" One of the men interrupted the laughter.

"Mmm?" The other asked, pulling Iroh along with earth bending.

"Isn't she the one from _that time_?" The first asked, nudging the second.

He turned to look Mai in the eyes, then blinked, "Yeah, I think it is! Remember us?" He asked playfully, grabbing at her waist.

"Boys," A calm voice called, distracting the men and saving Mai. Ty Lee scowled at them both, wishing she knew the weak points of the earth trapping her hands. A different man made his way up to the scene.

"Lord Azula ordered me to tag along, she was worried you two couldn't do this mission without being too reckless. I presume she was right..?" He said, motioning towards the other man's hands around Mai's waist.

The other two coughed and ripped their hands away from Mai, then turned around and kept walking as if nothing had happened.

---

Sokka and Zuko stared in horror as Toph strode up before Azula. She simply frowned in annoyance.

"Ryu, get this girl out of my sight immediately!" Azula screamed. He calmly made his way up to Toph, who didn't hesitate to blast him into the wall._ An easy victory_, she thought before _she_ was the next one being thrown against the wall.

"What the-" She muttered as two stone hands trapped her own. "You..." She mumbled as she realized Ryu was an earth bender.

"Oh," She started, lifting herself off of the ground and shaking herself free of dirt, "It's on." She pounded her fists into the wall behind her and the stone hands crumbled into nothing.

She lifted a huge mound of earth from under her and hurled it towards Ryu. He smashed his arm through the center, which split it in half. He kicked the two halfs towards Toph, who smashed it back towards him. It was like a game.

Eventually, Azula grew bored of the ongoing battle.

"ENOUGH! End this now, Ryu!" She yelled, ending the fight. Toph blew hair out of her face as Ryu backed away.

Aang was, thankfully, watching the scene intently, when suddenly he flinched. He spun around and shot his stare at the entrance.

"Now what is it?" Azula grumbled impatiently. Aang remained silent.

"I'll check it out." Ryu said and made his way towards hallway. Zuko and Sokka watched intently, hoping it wasn't who they were expecting.

---

Ursa poked her head around the corner when she heard the battle end. She gasped when she saw a man heading towards her. She sprung backwards, and looked for a place to hide in a frenzy. Eventually, she found a large pillar she could fit behind, that covered her just enough. Ursa slammed her eyes shut and bit her lip when she heard footsteps.

"Whoever you are come out immediately. We can do this the hard way, or the easy way." She heard the man say, then crack his knuckles. She felt the urge to reveal herself, but didn't. Ursa knew it was a trick. There was no such thing as an "easy way" when you're eventually going to meet up with your daughter after seven years, who's by the way insane because of you.

"Alright," The man's voice came again. Suddenly the room shook, and Ursa heard things falling and crashing. She grabbed onto the wall in front of her, and desperately hoped she wouldn't be thrown into view. And as soon as the rumbling came, it left. She blinked, then let out a relieved sigh, when she felt a rough tug at her arm. She was hurled out of her hiding place, and shoved towards the main hall.

---

Zuko's heart stopped. The world around him was a blur, as all of his senses focused on the girl being thrown into the room. His eyes burned from staring so long, but he couldn't notice. Ursa met his stare, and she looked just as horrified as he was. He somehow managed to steal a look from Azula, who's mouth was half open and her hand in midair.

_This isn't good_, he thought.

"U...U-...Ryu!!!" Azula's thunderous voice interrupted the overwhelming silence.

Ryu gulped, and took a step backwards.

"Azula..." Ursa moaned, a smile taking shape on her pale lips.

Azula's mouth twisted into a grimace, and her eye's twitched.

"Don't speak to me!!! You're nothing to me!!! None of you are _anything_ to me!!!" She screamed, jolting from her "throne."

She gathered a blue bolt of lightning in her hands, and thrust it towards Ursa, who was frozen in terror. Zuko immediately took action. He knew if he was struck again, it would most likely be the end. But he had to.

_Mai... _He thought, just before he reached Ursa, _I love you-..._

---

The inside of the mountain was dark and silent... Too silent. The air was heavy with ash and smoke, making it difficult for the three to breathe. They struggled to ignore their burning lungs, for even a cough would end up in an earth bended punch to the gut ( Ty Lee learned that the hard way. ) They tumbled down staircases and through hallways, and eventually came to a prison-like chamber.

"What is this?!" Ty Lee shouted suddenly, making Iroh and Mai jump.

The men ignored Ty Lee and shoved her and Iroh into a cell. Mai propped an eyebrow, then blinked.

"W-what about me?" She asked, her voice trembling.

"Azula wants you." One replied nonchalantly. Mai froze.

_That girl.._. She thought. Those eyes appeared in her mind again, and it made the world a blur around her. Mai felt her feet moving on their own, and she could see a faint, bluish light from behind her drooping eyelids.

"Where... where is this?" Mai asked, as her eyes sprung open at the sound of someone screaming.

---

_"Katara!_" Zuko and Sokka screamed in unison as the girl jumped in front of Ursa before Zuko could. The thin amount of water Katara used as a "shield" was nothing compared to the lighting Azula shot at her. She flung back against the wall hard, and crumpled onto the ground lifelessly. Sokka gritted his teeth and charged towards her, and set a hand on her back.

"Katara?! Are you okay?!" Sokka asked and shook her a little too roughly.

"I..I'm fine." Katara lied and placed a hand over her forehead, "Ow..."

Toph was by the two in an instant, holding Katara up by the arm for support. Zuko was still frozen in front of Azula, his mouth twisted with anger. Ursa felt tears leaking from the corner of her eyes, but couldn't tell if it was from the fear, or the hatred her daughter felt for her. Or both.

Sokka looked at Katara's arms. The a fresh line of burns replaced the sores from before. He looked out of the corner of his eye, and saw Aang glaring at him.

He felt adrenaline spark in his veins, and took off at full speed after him without thinking. Zuko stared in shock.

"AANG!" He screamed before throwing his fist towards him. Aang simply grabbed it before it hit him, and threw it aside. Sokka snarled when Azula laughed hideously, and threw another punch. Aang just grabbed it again, but this time jabbed his knee into his stomach before throwing him back aside. Sokka grunted in pain as Zuko finally snapped and ran his way over to him.

He grabbed Sokka by both shoulders and roughly pulled him away, "What the hell are you doing?!" He practically screamed.

Sokka frowned, "Defending the only family I have left."

Zuko blinked, then sighed, "Sokka-"

"Finally," Azula interrupted the two. Everyone in the room spun their heads around- except Ursa, who's eyes were glued to Azula.

Zuko felt everything inside of him stop.

"Mai..." He moaned to himself. He wished he could stop time and just grab her and run away.

Azula's loud snarl brought Zuko back to reality.

"Where is Ebisu?!" She screamed, and stomped her feet impatiently.

"Here, my lord." Came a muffled voice from the corner. A man in his twenties came around the corner, and froze dead in his tracks when he saw Zuko.

"Hey.. isn't... isn't that-" Sokka started, and cut himself off when he saw Zuko's expression. There was no word to describe how much hatred was pouring out of his eyes. Sokka cringed, and caught a glimpse of Mai: frozen in terror, her eyes darting from Zuko to Ebisu.

"You did well, Ebisu. Keeping Mai in that place was the perfect start of my plan." Azula said in a forced voice. Ebisu gulped then bowed.

"M-my pleasure, Lord Azula." He said. His voice made Zuko want to set something on fire. There was still nothing inside of him.

Azula rolled her eyes, "I bet it was."

Zuko kept his eyes on Ebisu. To his satisfaction, there were still some severe wounds that were healing that marked up his arms. But still, he wasn't fully satisfied. He'd never be as long as he was still alive.

"Ebisu," Azula began, smirking at Zuko, "If you don't mind, how did you get those wounds again?"

He swallowed hard, and shot his stare to the floor. Katara and Toph both turned to Zuko, who looked like he was about to explode.

Ebisu glanced at Mai, and was immediately thrown against the wall by a blast of fire. He coughed and dusted himself off, then saw Zuko hovering over him.

"Keep your eyes off of her." He said, picking him back up by his collar.

Azula frowned, "Aang!" Aang took action without hesitating, and was at the scene in an instant. He pulled Zuko away, and slammed him against the wall. Zuko blinked, not used to the sudden change. He gathered that same ball of energy in his palm as before. Katara gasped.

"Aang! Listen to me!" She screamed, limping her way over to them and ignoring Toph yelling after her.

She set both hands over his shoulders and spun him around. His expression didn't change.

"Aang, please, stop this! We're all your friends here! Snap out of it, please!" She ignored her new wounds sending waves of pain through her, and placed a kiss on his lips. When she pulled away, his eyes were closed. Her eyes widened.

"Aang?!" Katara yelled. His eyes slowly opened, and to Azula's horror, were slowly turning bright blue again. "Aang!" Katara shouted happily, and brought him into a warm hug.

"NO!!" Azula screamed with disgust, and gathered more lightning into her hands.

This time, she thought, she _would not_ miss.

* * *

Sorry, this chapt. was a bit long xD But I had to fit a lot in here! The next chapt. will be very Maiko-y, since it has been lacking in the last couple chapters D': And also, sorry for updating so slowly. If you think it's because I can't think of what to write, that's not true. I already have like every detail of the story planned out in my head, I just take a long time writing it out the way I picture it 'xD So yah... review! ;D


	36. Chapter 36

-UPDATES/NEWS-

HEY PEOPLES! 8D So, it's been like what... uh... well let's just say a LONG TIME since I've last updated this fic, lol. And I just wanted to explain why! I also wanted to explain that, NO, I am not bailing out on this fic, it's just that I've had ZERO inspiration since the last chapter. And I had been hoping that the movie would have given me some inspiration to round up the story, but [of course] it did just about the opposite of that :D And I didn't want to force myself to finish the chapter with no inspiration, because it would have turned out really, REALLY bad ._. No inspiration for tweety=horrible fanfics 8D So yeah, I just wanted to explain that and let you guys know that I'm not giving up on this story. I hope that The Legend of Korra [or Kora, whatever the %$#*& his name is, lolz] will give me enough inspiration to finish this up finally! Thanks for not giving up on me after all this time, love you guys 3

-Tweety


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